


The Story of Hikari from Monochrome Blush

by Hikari_Rose



Category: Show By Rock!! - All Media Types
Genre: Self-Insert, ocxcanon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 18:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 59,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15914265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikari_Rose/pseuds/Hikari_Rose
Summary: In Midi City, those who have mastered music have the power of kings. This is a story about a group of youths who dared to dream... Show By Rock!! Fanifiction. Focuses on Shingancrimsonz and a new original band.*Please note that this does contain relationships between OCs and canon characters, so if this isn't something you are a fan of, turn back now.*Meet the characters of our story - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hG-PX0J9RLuPpZCwnhPE0LvO4yNVcrG9qIljJfm-WNA/edit?usp=drivesdk





	1. Track 01

**Track 01**

 

A small single bedroom apartment. It is dark and empty besides the two beds on either side of the bedroom. The door opens, letting a small bit of light inside from the hallway. The door closes and the lights of the bedroom come on as a female snow leopard Myumon enters the room holding a box with “Hikari’s things” written on the side in black marker. She sets the heavy box on one of the beds and makes her way to the giant window in the center of the wall. Below, many bright, colorful lights can be seen. Hundreds of Myumons roamed the streets, even at this late hour. No matter which direction you looked, it seemed there was always some kind of concert in progress. She opened the window, the faint sound of the music of the nearest concert filling the room. She closed her eyes, pretending to play the song on the window sill as if it were a piano, hearing the sounds of the screaming crowd, imagining herself on a stage in front of thousands of fans.

 

Her dream was to become one of the greatest songwriters Midicity had ever seen, so moving into the city was the first step to reaching this goal. If you could make it in Midicity, you could be seen as one of Sound World’s greatest musicians. Lots of the World’s most well known bands were located here. Bands like Trichronika, and Tsurezurenaru Ayatasuri Mugenan were just a couple. There were other bands that were also located in this city, whose names had just started to be known. Bands like Plasmagica and Criticrista were in this category. Hikari remembered watching a battle of the bands between the two on television just a few months ago. She wanted to be in a band that surpassed all of these bands, though this wasn’t a dream she spoke of often. It wasn’t long, however, that this daydreaming was interrupted.

 

“Hikari! Hikariiiiiii~!”

 

Footsteps could be heard quickly approaching the apartment from outside the hallway. Hikari quickly closed the window and shut the curtains. A white lioness Myumon stood in the doorway, breathing heavily looking as if she had just ran a marathon to get there. Holding something behind her back, she started jumping up and down, obviously excited over something, though it was hard to tell. Her best friend, Kamiko, was almost always this energetic.

 

Hikari smiled, relieved that she hadn’t walked in on her little rock out session. “What is it, Kami?” she asked with a chuckle, putting her hands on each of her shoulders to stop her from jumping so much.

 

Kamiko settled just a little before waving two small pieces of paper in the air. “It’s time to take a break from unpacking!” Hikari folded her arms, looking around the room, only seeing the one single, still packed box sitting on her bed. Clearly, it wasn’t even close to time for a break, but she let her continue. “I just scored super awesome seats to a band that is just starting to get popular here in Midicity! They’re are from the same record label as the band we saw on T.V. recently, Plasmagica! It’s an all boy rock band that goes by the name ShinganCrimsonZ! They sound so cool!”

 

A concert? Perfect! Hikari glanced out the window, thinking back to the thoughts she was having earlier. How could she say no? It was the perfect way to see how the competition was going to be, right? “Okay, but as soon as we get back, we are staying up all night to unpack!”

 

Kamiko giggled, twirling in place. “Okay, ‘Mother,’” she teasingly called her. Hikari was always trying to keep her out of trouble, earning this nickname. She flipped open Hikari’s box throwing clothes all over the room, finding a black dress with a leopard print stripe going down each side and held it up. “And this is what you will be wearing!”

 

Hikari shook her head, seeing the mess the lioness had just made of her things, glaring at her just a little before swiping the dress from her and leaving the room to change, hearing her call out “You know you love me~!” She simply smiled and changed into the cute little dress. When she returned, Kamiko had on a black dress with a white lacy trim.

 

“Well aren’t we both just sexy!” Kamiko yells as they start down the hallway, earning a facepalm from Hikari. Way to be embarrassing.

 

The two made their way to the concert, their seats in about the third row, directly in the center. They had a perfect view of the stage. The band entered the stage as the crowd cheered loudly. The lights went out, as four spotlights came on, showing each of the members of the band. A red hedgehog Myumon stood center stage a guitar in his hand. To his left, a yellow fox Myumon with a bass that was shaped like a sword stood. On the right was a lion Myumon holding a second guitar. In the back, a leopard Myumon sat behind a set of drums, Hikari’s heart skipping for a moment, not expecting that. A leopard Myumon… Just like her...

 

The lead vocalist, the hedgehog Myumon, stepped forward to his mic as the crowd started to quiet. “With our crimson gaze, we keep watching you and loving you.” His voice was very smooth, causing both of the girls to blush ever so slightly. Hikari shook her head, removing the thoughts from her mind. This is not what she came for. She was here to see what the music was like.

 

He continued, shouting for everyone to hear, “Let’s go, you cattle!” At this, strangely everyone in the audience cheered. Cattle? Wasn’t that kind of rude? She shrugged, deciding it must be something they just didn’t understand. She looked over at Kamiko, who was instantly drawn in to this group, even if the performance hadn’t begun. She didn’t seem to think the cattle comment was insulting in the slightest. She thought it was actually kind of interesting. They were definitely a unique group.

 

The concert started with a song titled “Crimson Quartet,” which was the moment Hikari decided she couldn’t just judge them by their introduction. They were actually pretty good. It was easy to see that Kamiko felt the same. She smiled as she saw how hard her friend was fawning over the group. She was definitely more open about how she felt about certain things, while Hikari kept most of her feelings to herself.

 

After the show, the two girls walked home together, Kamiko failing to keep all of her squealing inside. “OMG! Wasn’t that just the best!? They were so good, and such _cuties_ , too!”

 

Hikari shrugged, strolling along with her hands behind her back. “They weren’t bad, I guess. I do believe I could have written a better song, though,” she said, trying not to sound too impressed. “The drummer wasn’t half bad, at least.”

 

“Oh come on, Hiki! You can’t be--wait! OMG you are totally in love with him. That’s gotta be it!” she pounded her fist into her palm. “Not that I blame you! That guitar player was pretty great, too~!”

 

Hikari’s face instantly grew red. “What?? You got something like _that_ out of what I just said? You can’t be serious... I don’t have time for things like that.” She crossed her arms before bumping Kamiko with her hip teasingly. “But I definitely saw you checking that guitar player out. You’re so predictable!” she joked.

 

“Hey! No fair!” She pouted. “Well say what you want, but I think they were great! We definitely need to meet them.”

 

Hikari raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “How so? They are obviously like celebrities around here. It’s not like we are gonna just run into them having dinner one night. Unless we spend all of our Sound Dollars on backstage passes next time, it’s not going to happen.”

 

“Pfft, please... We are obviously going to have a performance of our own, and it will be so good that _they_ will be the ones buying the backstage passes to meet _us_!” Kamiko said with a determined gleam in her eyes.

 

“What? We don’t even have any of our own music yet. How on earth do you plan to get something like that ready so quickly?” Hikari questioned.

 

“Well _obviously_ we have to cover ShinganCrimsonZ songs, of course!” she shouted as she pumped her fist into the air. This caught Hikari off guard, causing her to stop walking, as Kamiko kept speaking, but Hikari wasn’t listening anymore.

 

“Wait, what do you mean cover their songs? Isn’t that kind of like cheating?” she interrupted. That wasn’t how she wanted to start out her career. She wanted to earn it fairly to prove she could make it on her own.

 

Kamiko shook her head. “Of course not! Lots of bands start out covering others. They find groups that play songs by their favorite artists and next thing you know they have fans of their own who get them recognized! It’s no different than all the times you and I would play during karaoke night at the diner down the street from our home!”

 

“ _Your_ home, Kamiko,” she corrected her. “And I don’t know if I could consider those karaoke nights. Sure, everyone else might have done karaoke, but we were the only ones who brought our own instruments...” she said with a chuckle.

 

“We definitely stole the show,” Kamiko responded. “Of course that wouldn’t have been possible for me without you.” When the girls were younger, Kamiko had a hard time deciding what her musical talent was. She always wanted to sing, but her parents, who just before she had been born were some of the most famous rockstars in Sound World, had bigger plans for her. They made her try just about every instrument out there. She finally developed a passion for guitar, but always had that dream of being able to sing.

 

Hikari’s passion, however, was piano. She always found herself playing the beautiful white grand piano in the studio at Kamiko’s mansion when she was feeling sad, and through her emotions, she began to write her own songs. Not that she ever shared them with anyone, of course. She was never really the type to really show her feelings, so these were too embarrassing.

 

With Kamiko’s dream to sing and play guitar, Hikari ended up following behind and taught herself to play the drums, which was her way of showing support to the lioness. In her mind, it was more important to help her best friend reach her dreams than to go after her own. Because of this, she was never fully content, but learned to live with it as it made Kamiko happy.

 

When Hikari told her she was taking her to a karaoke night, she was way too nervous to go, so she decided to pack up their instruments and told her it would be just like their jam sessions at home, and that she had nothing to worry about.

 

Hikari smiled, reaching in her bag for the key to get into the apartment. “All I did was push you. The talent was always there.” She unlocked the door and started toward her bed, gathering the clothes Kami had tossed on the floor earlier along the way. She still planned to spend the rest of the night unpacking.

 

“And now _I’m_ trying to push you!” She reached into Hikari’s box, knowing that would have been where her drumsticks would be. “We can do this, Hikari... I know we can.” She handed them to her friend with a big smile on her face. “Now... what do you say?”

 

A few moments of silence passed before Hikari finally took the sticks from Kamiko’s hand, a sigh of defeat escaping her lips. “Alright, fine. But we have to make sure we work hard and work on our own music in the process. I can’t play some other silly band’s music forever.”

  


☆ ~ Two Months Later ~ ☆

 

In a small cafe in the basement of one smaller recording label, sat three Myumon, Crow, Aion, and Yaiba of ShinganCrimsonZ. Just as they had almost every night, they spent their evenings as a group for dinner, though as usual, one was running just a little late. Angelica, the manager of their recording agency and also the cafe’s owner, washed a few dishes while listening to the boys’ typical bickering. It never failed that just one of them could say something to set the others off. Most people believe that if it weren’t for the fourth member of their band, that these three would have long ago killed each other, but after knowing these boys for as long as she had, Angelica knew that it was nothing more than simple brotherly arguments. Each of them cared for the others just as they would a member of their family, even if they all had different ways of showing it, and were able to express this through their playing.

 

Suddenly, the door burst open, all three boys turning around hoping to see the final member of their band, but it was only just Maple, the president of their label. “I have some very interesting news for you gentlemen! There is a new, unsigned band that is rising in popularity around Midicity. They are very small, just having two members, but these girls are very good! I think you boys would really enjoy listening to--”

 

A bottle of milk was slammed down on the counter, interrupting the short egg-shaped man. “Wait, _us_ ? You want us to come listen to some girly band with you and think we would _enjoy_ it? We already have Plasmagica, so if you think we need another group just like them, then why don’t you take _them_ with you?” an annoyed Crow responded, obviously cranky over whatever argument he and the others had gotten into this time.

 

As Maple started to continue, the door opened again, Rom finally making it back from his full time job, plopping down in the nearest booth to the door, exhausted. “Don’t worry, I’ve invited them as well! But I’m telling you boys about this because this group has earned their popularity by covering _your_ music.” At this, Rom sat up, turning to the president with a questioning look on his face. There was another band out there that is trying to steal their music? This wasn’t exactly something he was okay with. “The fans can’t get enough of their versions of these songs, and the Myumons who had never heard of you boys are becoming more and more interested after hearing these girls sing. I’m thinking about asking them to sign with us here at Banded Rocking Records. They can work with you boys on improving, and start working on their own music.”

 

“Well obviously they chose to sing our songs because I have such an amazing talent when it comes to writing lyrics. Those _Cattle_ must have secretly fallen in love with--” Crow continued blabbing on, while Aion and Yaiba discussed a plan, ignoring the hedgehog’s lame speech about himself. They both nodded and turned back to Rom, who had a look of irritation on his face.

 

“What do you think, man?” Yaiba asked, hoping he had been listening. Crow stopped talking, putting his hands on his hips and giving Yaiba an annoyed glare for interrupting, then looked to Rom.

 

“Whatever... I’d really rather not get dragged into something like this, but let’s go.” He pushed away from the table and went out the door, the others slowly following behind.

 

\---

 

The girls sat on the edge of the stage in the small venue they had just performed in. The show went pretty well and some of the audience members even stayed behind to talk to the girls and get a few pictures. Most of their nights had ended like this, recently.

 

Once things started to die down, Hikari sat quietly, scribbling some notes on a napkin, just barely listening to Kamiko gush about their growing popularity. She just had to use it in a song... Unfortunately, she just couldn’t think of the words to go along with the way she felt when she heard it. How could she become the greatest songwriter without great lyrics?

 

Kamiko continued on, looking up from where they sat, noticing a group near the back of the venue. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized their faces. Without looking away from them, she reached next to her to tap Hikari on the arm, wanting her to look up, but all she said was “Kami! Hold on, I can’t lose this melody I have in mind! It’s perfect. If I can just get the right words to go along with it, we can use it for sure!”

 

Just as she finished speaking, the remaining audience members grew silent, which suddenly caught her attention. “Hm... What’s going o--” Next the lights went off and a single red spotlight lit up behind her. Out of curiosity and confusion, she turned around, finally noticing the look on Kamiko’s face, as music started playing. “Well… the melody is gone now. Great.”

 

♫ “A miracle born in a wavering moment clad in crimson scarlet, Crow has arrived!” ♫

 

♫ “Shaken by darkness, disappearing into darkness, clothed in a forbidden wave of black. Black monster, Aion.” ♫

 

♫ “He is after the spirit to rule over all the savage living things on earth. The way of Ryukomuso Kamui, hence, Yaiba appears bearing his legendary Ryukenden.” ♫

 

♫ “Grown men have a spice called secrecy. That is the true reality. I am Rom!” ♫

 

♫ “Sing, you _cattle_ , be dyed in crimson, your eyes will change fate. ShinganCrimsonZ! ShinganCrimsonZ!” ♫

 

The lights finally came on, and everyone in the venue broke out into cheering. Kamiko started jumping up and down, squealing with excitement. “That was awesome!! I told you we’d run into them at some point!” she whispered to her friend.

 

“They really can’t help themselves sometimes, can they?” a golden retriever Myumon with glasses and long pigtails commented. “Always showing off…”

 

The girl next to her, a rabbit Myumon with long purple hair sighed in response. “Oh well… It’s not like we could stop them even if we tried.”

 

“It looks like one of the girls is enjoying herself, pyuru!” the third girl, a pink sheep Myumon, noted, referring to Kamiko’s excited reaction. “At least they grabbed their attention!”  
  
Hikari looked from the boys of ShinganCrimsonZ behind them on stage, to the group of girls, who she recognized as Plasmagica, that were now standing in front of her with a look of confusion on her face. Why were these two bands at their show? Had they really gained _that_ much attention? She wasn’t exactly sure what to say.

 

The sound of heels approaching behind her snapped her out of her thoughts as she turned around to face the boys once more, seeing the vocalist, Crow, had his own guitar in hand. What did he do? Pull that thing out of thin air?? “Hmph, you girls weren’t _too_ bad, but it’s time we showed you cattle how it’s really done--”

 

But before he could finish, he was cut off by the rabbit and guitarist of Plasmagica. “Would you give it a rest? That’s not why we’re here, you know!” She placed her hands on her hips and sighed. “I’m sorry girls, those boys can be a little full of themselves. Anyway, my name is…”  
  
“Chuchu!” Hikari finished, trying to hide her excitement. “Retoree and Moa, too, correct? And well… those guys kind of already introduced themselves. We are familiar with all of you! But you’re here for a reason?”

 

“Of course they are, silly!” Kamiko responded. “They came to see our amazing show!!”

 

“Kamiko! Don’t be rude…” Hikari said with a glare.

 

Before Hikari could scold her friend any further, a voice of a much shorter Myumon interrupted. “Good evening, ladies. My name is Maple. I am the president of Banded Rocking Records, the label that has these two bands signed. I’ve been watching your shows for a while now, and after what I just saw, I think it would be great for you two to sign with us.” He held out a business card for both of the girls and Kamiko snatches it out of his hand.

 

“YES!! Definitely~!” she squealed, holding the card to her chest as if she were hugging it. Hikari’s eyes widened in shock. She wanted to feel excited as well, but this was a lot for her to take in at once. Plus, even if she was excited, she wouldn’t show it on the outside as much as Kamiko did. She wasn’t sure if it was actually the best idea to accept it right away, since they didn’t get to read any information on a contract or anything, but this was their shot. She would do anything to make this work.

 

“Great! Then pack your bags, girls! We have a dorm just above our studio, which is where you will be living. We will see you both bright and early Monday morning!” Maple said, walking toward the exit of the venue. The members of Shingan and Plasmagica followed behind him, ready to head back home.  



	2. Track 02

**Track 02**

Hikari sighed as she plopped down on her bed. This was their second time moving in just a few short months. Finally everything was unpacked in their new room inside of the BRR company building. Somehow, this room felt more like a home to her than the apartment they had when they first moved to Midicity. Since there only happened to be one room left in the building after a member of Plasmagica had to resign and leave for reasons that Hikari knew nothing about, Hikari and Kamiko were still roommates. Neither of the girls minded, of course. They had pretty much lived together their whole lives. The room was decorated in many shades of pink and purple. On the back of the door, Kamiko put up a poster of ShinganCrimsonZ, which seemed a bit much to Hikari at first, since they all lived right down the hall, but it started to grow on her.

 

While Kamiko blasted music on her side of the room, dancing around on her bed as if she were on a stage, Hikari sat up on her bed and opened her laptop. Since they were only just starting out, she knew that she would need to find a way to make some extra money. In a large area such as Midicity, surely there would be some places looking to hire someone, right? Kamiko’s loud music was becoming a distraction, making it hard for her to hear her own thoughts. “Hey... Kami! Mind turning that down?”

 

Unfortunately, Kamiko couldn’t hear her as she danced with her eyes shut, lost in her own little world... as usual. Hikari shook her head and stood up and put her hands on her hips, making one last attempt to shout over the music. “KAMIKO!! Are you even listening!?” Still oblivious to her friend’s shouting, she began singing and playing air guitar, having way too much fun for Hikari to handle. She threw her arms up in frustration and paused the music, catching Kamiko off guard and she stumbled, falling off the bed with a big crash.

 

“Owwie~” she whined, rubbing her butt. “What did you do that for, Hiki? That was the best part!”

 

Hikari crossed her arms, staring down at her with a mild glare. “I couldn’t concentrate. You were being too loud! I need to find a job somewhere in the city until we can start having real concerts, Kamiko.”

 

The white lioness sighed. “You know, you really don’t have to go through all of that. Mama and Daddy sent lots of Sound Dollars with us when we mov--”

 

Hikari cut her off before she could finish. “I don’t care what they sent! I can be responsible for myself. You just don’t get it. I can’t rely on your family forever.” She grabbed her laptop and slipped some shoes on. Deciding she needed a moment to herself. “I’m going downstairs where it is quiet. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

 

As she shut the door behind her, Kamiko stood up and leaned against her bed. She didn’t understand why Hikari got so defensive when she or her parents tried to do something nice for her. Having adopted her into their family, Kami’s parents treated Hikari like she was their own daughter, but she never seemed to want anything they offered to her. She always told them she would rather work to get the things she wanted, rather than just having them handed to her. 

 

The tiny bell rang as Hikari entered Angelica’s. She sat at a table near the back of the cafe and set up her computer. As she was busy typing, Angelica asked if there was anything she wanted to eat. She politely declined, but asked for coffee instead. It felt like it was going to be a long night, so she would probably need it. She hadn’t noticed when she walked in, that someone else was also in the cafe.

 

She stretched her arms over her head and sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Her research was getting her nowhere. If there  _ were _ any jobs open in the city, they weren’t posted anywhere online. Just as she closed her laptop, ready to give up, a voice from the next table over spoke up, startling her.

 

“What’s the problem, newbie? You look stressed,” he commented with an annoyed tone in his voice. Hikari looked up to see Rom, the drummer of ShinganCrimsonZ sitting in a table by hers, stacks of paper spread out all around him. Judging by the tone he had in his voice, it was clear he hadn’t warmed up to them just yet. If that was the case, then why was he being so nosy?

 

She huffed an irritated sigh. “Well not that it’s any of your business, but I’m trying to find a part time job to make sure I have enough money to get through until Monochrome Blush starts performing regularly! Do you realize how difficult that is?” 

 

Rom raised an eyebrow and just stared at her for a moment, and then snickered. “Part time job? Nah, I couldn’t imagine. However, I could tell you how difficult it is to work a  _ full _ time job while being in a successful band that  _ is _ performing regularly.” 

 

Her face turned red. What exactly were all those papers...? She looked up to see a smug smile on his face. “Wha... Don’t look at me like I’m  _ stupid _ ! How was I supposed to know?” She crossed her arms and looked away.

 

Angelica watched the two of them from behind the bar, drying some glasses she had just finished washing. She couldn’t help but smile to herself out of amusement.

 

Rom shrugged, “I never said you were stupid.”

 

She glared and pointed a finger at him. “Maybe not, but it was the way you were looking at me. So then, Mr. Perfect, how  _ does _ one find a job in this city?”

 

“Oh! So I’m perfect now, huh? How flattering. Well, Stupid,” he started with a smirk on his face, hoping to get a rise out of her. “You’re going to have to go out and ask a few business owners. In fact, I know of a little cafe down the street from my office, that is always looking for help. I leave for work at 7:00am, and I suppose I can take you there, if you want to tag along.”

 

“A cafe...? Not exactly what I had in mind, but... a job is a job, so I’ll give it a shot,” she thought out loud to herself. “Fine... I’ll be ready out front first thing in the morning.” She picked up her computer, and handed her empty coffee cup to Angelica, thanking her, and started toward the door. The little bell rang as she opened it, and she paused turning to look at him, with her face super red, just now catching on to what he had just said. “And I’m  _ not  _ stupid! Maybe  _ you’re  _ the one who is stupid, you jerk!” she shouted, slamming the door behind her on her way out.

 

Rom couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he got back to work. He wasn’t sure how he felt about a lousy cover band that sings their songs being signed in the same record label just yet, but he found her attitude to be pretty entertaining. 

 

Hikari stormed back into her and Kamiko’s room and put her computer away before searching through her closet. She needed something nice to wear. Kamiko pulled one headphone out of her ear (actually being quiet now...) and watched her for a moment. “Whatcha looking for, Hiki~?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. “Did you find a place to get a job or something?”

 

She started holding shirts up to herself in the mirror. “Something like that. I have someone showing me a place tomorrow morning that is looking for help,” she replied, not sounding all that excited about the last part. She turned around holding a gray dress up in front of her. “What do you think?”

 

“Love it~! Wait a second, though. Someone is taking you job hunting? Who is it? Do I know them? OMG it’s a boy, isn’t it!?” She clapped her hands together and squealed. “Little Hikari-cub has herself a date tomorrow and wants to look all cutesy-wootsy!” she cheered in a teasing voice.

 

“Kamiko!!” she shouted, her face red out of embarrassment. “Why is that always your first thought? Yeah, maybe it is a guy, but it’s nothing like that! The guy’s a jerk anyway. I’m only going because he said he could show me where to look. That’s all. Nothing ‘cutesy-wootsy’ about it.” She hung the dress on the back of the closet door, leaving it out for the next day.

 

“Okay, okay... But you still have to tell me who it is!” she said, nudging her with her elbow.

 

Hikari rolled her eyes. “Fiiine... If you must know, its the drummer from Shingan.”

 

“You mean Rom!?” she squealed again. How perfect! It was like a cute little leopard date! She was about to say more, when she saw Hikari climb into bed with her back to her, obviously ignoring her. “Well fine! I’ll just get all the details from you tomorrow~!”

 

Hikari got up bright and early the next morning, taking everything to the bathroom to get ready so she wouldn’t wake Kamiko up. This was mainly because she didn’t want to listen to more of her teasing like she had all night the night before. She took much longer to get ready than she usually would, wanting to make sure she looked presentable. For the potential job interview of course… 

 

She made sure to make it outside just a few minutes early. The last thing she needed was to listen to him go on and on about how long he had to wait for her to come outside. She didn’t recognize him at first in his business attire. His hair wasn’t as crazy messy as she was used to seeing it. It almost looked out of place on him. He wore a brown suit with a tie, and even had glasses on. She gulped, feeling her cheeks heat up. This wasn’t what she was prepared for. Where exactly did this guy work that made him dress like  _ that _ ?

 

He looked down at her, seeing that she was dressed up as well. The gray dress she wore emphasized each and every curve on her little body. The bottom came just above her knees, and she wore black heels. He cleared his throat and started walking. “Hope you can keep up in those shoes. This isn’t exactly a short walk.”

 

“Hmph... Don’t underestimate me!” she responded, walking behind him with her arms crossed. 

 

He chuckled to himself, listening to the clicking of her heels as she tried to keep up with him, while he purposely walked a bit fast to tease her. She was too proud of herself to tell him to slow down, but she couldn’t complain about what she got to see while rushing through the city. Totally talking about the sights around Midicity, not anything or... anybody else. That was for sure. 

 

Finally they made it to a small cafe on the corner of the street. “Well, here we are. Good luck, I guess,” Rom said as she walked in. She mumbled a thanks to him, not sure if he deserved it, but she made herself prove she was the better person. She looked around the cafe, wondering who she needed to talk to about a job. 

 

“Is there something I can help you with, miss?” she heard, but couldn’t see anyone. When the voice cleared their throat, she looked down, seeing a short egg shaped... man. 

 

‘Oh don’t tell me...’ she thought to herself. ‘Is this guy related to President Maple?’ She brushed her dress off, hoping she dressed well enough to make a good impression. “Actually, yes sir. I’m looking for a place to work and was wondering if you were hiring.” In response, he nodded toward a table, motioning her to sit down for an interview.

 

After about 20 minutes, Hikari opened the door and stepped back outside onto the sidewalk. Still hanging around outside, she heard Rom’s voice behind her. “So...? How’d it go?”

 

Hikari jumped, a bit startled at the sound of his voice. She expected him to have already left for work at this point. She turned around, a uniform in her arms. “Wha...? Oh, you... Well I got the job. So thank you for your help. I never would have thought to look here if you hadn’t... Hey! Are you listening?” She crossed her arms, seeing that he was trying to hold back laughter. “What’s so funny?”

 

He cleared his throat, trying to act like the cool guy he really was. “That little outfit there. It’s very... you.” She looked down to the little maid-style uniform in her hand and blushed a deep shade of red, glaring angrily at him. “Aren’t you going to try it on?” he asked, that same smug smile from the night before on his face. She turned away and started walking back toward BRR, hearing his voice call out to her. “Come on, just the hat?”

 

She turned back around and stamped her foot into the ground. “Don’t you have to be at work or something!?” She growled to herself as she officially stormed off, not looking back this time. Meanwhile, Rom was cracking himself up. He didn’t think he would be able to talk her into such a job. It  _ was _ obvious, however, that she was determined to make money on her own, so he wasn’t all that surprised. In fact, he was quite impressed with the younger leopard.

 

As she opened the door to the dorm room, she saw Kamiko laying on her bed with her chin in her hands, looking as if she had been watching for her to come home for hours. “You’re home~! So how did it go, Hiki?”

 

Hikari acted as if there was nothing to be excited about, and responded, “It was fine. I got the job.”

 

“No, no, no! I don’t care about your job interview! I’m talking about your date! With  _ Rommie _ ~” she said in a sing-song voice. “OMG! Did you kiss? You’ve gotta tell me!”

 

Hikari grumbled. “Kamiko, no! It was  _ not _ a date! We definitely didn’t kiss! He took me to the restaurant, I went inside, I got the job, and I came home. That’s all!”

 

Kamiko smirked at her. “Yeah, yeah. Okay, whatever. It’s going to happen eventually. I can just feel it~!”

 

Hikari rolled her eyes just as they heard a knock on the door. Ignoring Kamiko’s comments about how it was probably her future boyfriend at the door, she opened the door to see Crow, the lead singer and guitarist of ShinganCrimsonZ. 

 

"Yo! The guys and I were in the studio working on some music and got to thinking. You two should come down and practice with us." Hikari looked back at Kamiko, who looked as if she were about to explode with joy. She could tell hard she was trying to not start fangirling over him being in their doorway. "It's a once in a lifetime chance, really. It's not everyday that someone as talented as I am would ask cattle to play music with him."

 

Hikari put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "You know... we've told you before that we aren't your cattle. But hey, I could go for some time in the studio. What do you think, Kami?"

 

She turned to see her friend covering her mouth and kicking her legs back and forth really fast while sitting on the edge of her bed, nodding violently. Hikari made sure to hold the door so that it was blocking Crow’s view of Kami’s freak out moment. That would really inflate his ego even more. “Eh, I guess she’s okay with it. We’ll meet you down there in a few.”

 

Hikari closed the door, and sat next to Kamiko. Putting both of her hands on her shoulders, she looked her straight in the eyes and said, “We can do this. It’s the next step to making it in this industry. It’s a great learning experience.” Kamiko continued dancing around, even with Hikari’s hands on her shoulders, so she shook her once. “But we can’t go until you calm down! If we really want to do this, then we can’t be weird about it.”

 

After finally calming Kamiko down, the two got changed and grabbed Kami’s guitar, Noblesse, and Hikari’s drumsticks. They took the elevator down to the studio. While inside the elevator, they heard the familiar tune to one of their favorite ShinganCrimsonZ songs, Falling Roses. Hikari, of course, noticed that one very important thing was missing: The heartbeat of the song, the drums.

 

The three boys stopped playing as the door opened, Hikari entering first with her drumsticks. Kamiko wasn’t far behind (due to the fact that she was practically hiding behind her). Hikari pumped her fist into the air and shouted, “Alright, boys! Monochrome is here to rock! Just lead me to the drums, and I’ll take it from there!” One thing Hikari didn’t own was her own drum set. Years ago, when she and Kamiko were in middle school, Kami made the mistake of buying one for her, and Hikari wasn’t exactly the most appreciative.

 

Every day after school, Hikari and Kamiko would stop at a little bakery for a treat on their way home. Next to the bakery was a music store that sold some of the highest quality instruments in the world. Right in the window was the most amazing instrument design Hikari had ever seen in her life. The set was a dark magenta color with shimmering white leopard spots. Kamiko noticed how much Hikari would admire what she could only assume were those drums each and every time they would pass that shop.

 

Hikari wanted nothing more than to be able to save up everything she earned to pay to buy an instrument from that store, however, it was not the drums she wanted, but the matching keyboard. She started working at an arcade located across the street from where the bakery and music shop were located. It wasn’t a difficult job. She was able to show off for some of the customers with how well she could play each and every one of the games. The only bad thing was the job didn’t pay much, so she had to work just about every night of the week to be able to save enough.

 

Kamiko hated how hard and how much Hikari was working herself, feeling lonely spending so much time alone while she worked. It was only a month until Hikari’s birthday, and she wanted nothing more than to be able to make her best friend happy on her special day. She went to her parents and explained the situation, asking their permission to use their credit card to purchase the absolute perfect present for her friend.

 

The big day finally came, and Hikari, of course, didn’t come straight home after school. As usual, she was stuck working until the arcade closed. Kamiko ran to the arcade after she knew that everything was ready. She made it just in time, as Hikari was locking up the doors. As the little leopard turned around she jumped, startled as her best friend practically tackled her, hugging her tightly. “Happy Birthday, Hiki~! Mama made your favorite for dinner, so we gotta hurry up and get home right  _ now _ !” She grabbed her by the hand and started running, Hikari still slightly in shock. Her mother never cooked or even entered the kitchen for that matter, unless it was a special occasion. She wasn’t used to her birthday being such a big deal, though it was nice that she didn’t have to walk home alone for once.

 

Kamiko’s family butler greeted them as they entered the large house, informing them that dinner had just been served. They sat down to dinner, Hikari being quieter than usual. The food was wonderful, but she just didn’t feel right letting them go to all of this trouble for her. After everyone was finished eating, Kamiko stood up to announce that presents were next, and Hikari’s eyes grew wide.  _ Presents _ ? 

 

Kamiko grabbed Hikari’s hand again, practically dragging her to the studio that was located in their home. She stood in front of the closed door and told Hikari to close her eyes. Hikari, who was starting to feel suspicious, closed her eyes as her friend opened the door and guided her inside, leading her to sit down... but where? Next, she placed her drumsticks in her hands and told her to open her eyes. The moment she did, her face grew red. Right in front of her, were the drums Kamiko thought she had been working for months to purchase on her own. Kamiko clapped her hands excitedly, asking her what she thought of her gift.

 

Hikari stood up, and angry look in her eyes as she tossed the drumsticks to the ground. “I can’t  _ believe _ you, Kamiko!!” she shouted, taking Kamiko aback. Before she could ask her what was wrong, she continued. “You really don’t know me, do you?” She stopped before going any further with that statement. As far as Kamiko knew, Hikari only had a passion for the drums, but that wasn’t true at all. She only took up the drums for Kamiko’s sake.    
  
She changed the direction of the argument to avoid that topic. “ I didn’t ask for you to do this for me! I’m not you! I can’t just have things handed to me! I’d rather have the satisfaction of earning them on my own!”

 

“But... Hikari...” Kamiko objected, trying to explain to her that she was just trying to do something that would make her happy, since she always seems so sad and distant, but Hikari just pushed past her and went out the door.

 

This was the first real argument the girls had ever had. Hikari’s temper did get to her every once in a while, but it was never anything too serious. She ended up spending the evening outside by herself, deciding exactly what she had to do. The very next day, she went to the music store and told them she wished to return the drum set and asked if there was any way they could come to the house to pick them up. They made an agreement, handing Hikari the exact amount that Kamiko and her family paid for the drums, and put it in an envelope. She gave the money to Kamiko, telling her she was just fine saving up for an instrument on her own. She reluctantly took the money and told her she understood, but rather than giving the money back to her parents, she stashed it away, hoping to be able to put it to good use some day.

 

Unfortunately for Hikari, the arcade went out of business before she was able to save up enough money, and she wasn’t able to get the keyboard, since there weren’t many businesses in that town that were willing to hire a girl her age. She felt guilty for not keeping the drumset after this happened, as she didn’t have one of her own to play when she and Kamiko would perform, and she would just use whatever drums the venues they played at had.

 

With her request to have a set of drums to play on, Aion, who had a hand on his face, spoke up, his deep voice sending shivers through Kamiko’s body. “With Rom working right now, it would appear that his drum set is free to use.” Kamiko nudged Hikari with her elbow, which earned her a glare from her friend.

 

“Fine, I guess that will work,” she responded, taking a seat at the drums. 

 

Crow grinned, seeing Kamiko hook Noblesse up to one of the amps. “Alright, girls, try to keep up! We aren’t going to take it easy on you!”

 

Hikari cracked her knuckles and picked up her drumsticks. “Hmph... Didn’t expect you to.” She prepared herself for whatever song they decided to play, while Kamiko stood behind Aion, enjoying the thought of playing in the shadow of a god. All together, they restarted Falling Roses, each and every one of them playing their part of the song  _ perfectly _ . As the song ended, the boys looked to both of the girls, almost a bit shocked by how well they played. 

 

Aion turned to Kamiko, who instantly blushed, shifting her eyes away. “Not only was it interesting to hear the sound of a third guitar in our song, but to have one of such talent to rival that of a god... I must say you did very well.” This compliment brought tears of joy to Kamiko’s eyes as she had to restrain herself from freaking out. 

 

As she stuttered out a thank you, Crow turned to her as well. “I do have to say I agree that she was good, but she is still nowhere near as good as I am!” he said, pointing his thumb to himself. This comment made Hikari laugh to herself. Kamiko must have been dying inside, hearing these boys speak this way about her. 

 

Just as they were about to start their next song, the door flew open and everyone turned to see who was coming in. Rom, who had seemed to get off work a little earlier than usual that day, stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. “What the hell is going on in here?” His eyes wandered over to his drums, where he saw Hikari sitting. “And who gave  _ you _ permission to use  _ my _ drums?” he asked as he started walking towards her angrily.

 

A look of concern grew on Crow’s face when he saw how Rom was reacting to the other drummer using his instrument. “Hey, Rom, dude... It’s no big deal. We asked them to come down and show us what they’ve got... No need to get so angry.” He stepped in Rom’s path, hoping to talk some sense into him, only to be shoved out of the way, getting pushed into Yaiba, both of them falling to the ground.

 

Hikari stood up from the drums, glaring up at him as he stopped in front of the set. With an intense stare, he balled his hands into fists at his sides out of anger. Unphased by the intimidating leopard in front of her, she turned with a flip of her hair, picking up her drumsticks and walked away. She made her way to Kamiko, who was still dazed from before, and grabbed her hand. She stopped when she made it to the door and finally spoke. “I’d like to thank you boys for giving us the opportunity to play alongside you. I’d say this was one of our better rehearsals, that is... until it was rudely interrupted.” She flashed a teasing glare to Rom, who was obviously still furious about what he had walked in on. Just as she turned around to leave, she looked over her shoulder. “And by the way, your drums actually sounded pretty good tonight...  _ for once _ .” And with that, she waved, leaving with a very shocked Kamiko, who was frantically waving goodbye to all of the boys, not exactly ready to leave yet.


	3. Track 03

**Track 03**

 

After getting herself ready, Hikari headed out into the city, hoping to find a drum set for a relatively low price, that she would be able to afford with the little money she had saved up. Even after all these years, she still hadn’t spent a dime of the money she earned from the arcade. It was purely saved for her to buy her own instrument. She wandered through the streets of Midicity, peaking in the window of each music store. One store in particular made her stop and just stare... Inside of a store called “Kato’s New and Used Music Shop,” was the drum set from the instrument collection she longed for as a child. She rushed inside and took a look at the price tag and then sighed. 150 Sound Dollars more than what she had saved. Figures...

 

Kato, a kangaroo Myumon, and the owner of the shop watched as she admired the drums. "Are you interested in that set, miss? We just got that one in. It's actually from a limited edition collection from about--"

 

"10 years ago... I know. My best friend tried to get it for me when I was younger..." Hikari said, a sad tone to her voice. She had it for about a day, but unfortunately wouldn't accept the gift. She felt slightly guilty for that night, but Kamiko should have known better... She sighed... "Unfortunately, I don't have enough to buy this right now, but it was great to actually find it again." 

 

The owner tilted his head, noticing the sorrow in the young leopard's voice. "Well... You're welcome to try it out if you'd like."

 

Hikari looked up at him, a small gleam of joy in her eyes. "Wha... Y-Yeah! Okay, I will!" She reached inside of her bag and grabbed her drumsticks. Once she was seated at the drums, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could feel the beat inside, ready to come out. 

 

She started out playing the beat kind of softly, letting herself get into the rhythm before really going out. As she rocked out to the tune inside her head, many Myumons outside started to gather at the shop window, all very impressed by Hikari’s drumming.

 

One particular Myumon, however, started to walk past the shop, when he noticed the crowd. Rom was just on his way back to BRR from his other job, when suddenly, he heard the beat coming from inside and stopped, turning toward the shop they were all surrounding and approached the window. There, he saw Hikari going crazy on the drums inside of his old buddy Kato's shop. This is what she sounded like when she played...? She was this good and yet she didn't have her own set of drums and had to use his?

 

He entered the shop, standing next to Kato and crossing his arms. Kato turned to him and gave him a nod. "Hey man. So what do you think? She's good right? Looks like you're not the only leopard in Midicity with mad drumming skills!"

 

Rom scoffed. "Yeah, she's not bad. Did she buy that set?" he questioned, Hikari still jamming while ignoring everything around her.

 

"Nope... She said she couldn't afford it, but it's the one she's always wanted apparently. I told her she was free to try it out and... well here she is," Kato responded.

 

"Wait... seriously!?" Rom uncrossed his arms and put his hand to his head. He took a moment to wrap his head around things. He did feel guilty for the other night when he got angry at her for using his drums. If he had only listened to her play before judging... He shook his head. "How short is she?" he asked, not even thinking things through before jumping at the chance.

 

"Not sure, man. She didn't really say. Why do you ask?"

 

"Just... sell it to her for whatever she's got, and bill me for the rest. You've got the phone number to my office. I don't care how much it is." He didn't even give Kato the chance to respond to his request before heading out the door and on his way back home to BRR.

 

Hikari finally quit playing and stood up, putting her sticks back in her bag, and turned to Kato with a smile. "That felt great. Thank you so much." Just as she was about to leave, Kato called out to her.

 

"Hold up, miss. The way you rocked those drums... it was almost like they were made for you! I'll sell it to you for whatever you've got with you today," he told her with a smile, making sure to keep quiet about the deal that was just arranged. Knowing Rom, he wouldn't want any credit.

 

"A-Are you serious!? But I-I can't just..."

 

"They're yours. I don't think I could send them to a better owner if I tried," he told her, actually meaning what he was saying to her.

 

"Uhh... Okay! I'll take them! Thank you so much!!" Hikari responded, pulling out her wallet to pay the man. As she set up a delivery to have the drums sent to BRR, she took a look out the window, where she saw the crowd of people outside. "Man, what happened out there?"

 

\---

 

While Hikari was gone, Kamiko had spent some time with Aion down in Angelica's. She had finally built up the courage to ask him to hang out, and in her opinion, everything went really well! After they said their goodbyes, she headed back up to her room, where she found a sight she wasn’t exactly used to seeing.

 

The moment she opened the door she noticed Hikari sitting on her bed with her headphones in, drumming on her pillow with her drumsticks. The thing that happened to surprised Kamiko, however, was the huge smile that was on Hikari’s face. She shut the door behind her, making sure it slammed loud enough that she would hear it over her music. Hikari jumped and pulled the headphones out of her ears. “Oh! Kamiko! You’re back! How did it go?”

 

She smiled, sitting on her best friend’s bed with her. “It was amazing, Hiki! I think I like him… a lot!”

 

This brought a smile back to Hikari’s face. Not something Kamiko was used to seeing after telling Hikari about a boy. “Well… that was already obvious. I'm happy for you! But... first I need to apologize.”

 

“Apologize?” Kamiko questioned, unsure of where she was going with this. “What for?”

 

“Well... remember when you bought me those drums? I wasn’t exactly nice to you about it. I do want to say that I appreciate the thought, thinking back on it now. I’m sorry for not showing you that back then. BUT! I found a set of drums exactly like them, and the owner of the shop sold them to me for the amount that I had saved up! I have my own drums now! They will be delivered tomorrow!”

 

“Hikari, that’s amazing! We can finally start practicing the song you wrote!” Kamiko clapped, squealing to herself. This was perfect! “Okay, then it’s settled! You’re coming with me tomorrow, and we are showing those boys exactly what Monochrome Blush is made of!” The girls both high fived each other, Hikari even laughing a little. She had to admit, she was pretty excited about having a drum set of her own that she purchased with the money she earned all by herself.

 

The next day, Hikari got up bright and early so she could be ready for the delivery of her drums. She was almost as excited as a little girl on Christmas Eve. When the delivery truck arrived, she slipped on her shoes and ran outside, almost knocking over the delivery man as she took the clipboard to sign for the drums. She had them bring the drum set into the studio on the opposite side of Rom’s, that way he couldn’t complain that it was in his way or whatever.

 

When it finally came time for rehearsal, Hikari met Crow, Aion, and Yaiba in the studio, Rom even strolling in not long after he got off work to see what everyone was up to. He listened as Hikari played her drums. Her bandmate was nowhere to be seen, so it seemed she had started without her. But couldn't she allow them to rehearse until Kamiko returned? He crossed his arms and leaned against the back wall, closing his eyes as he listened. He could feel the passion she put into playing her instrument, which he respected, so he let her go... just this once. 

 

\---

 

While Hikari rehearsed on her own with the boys, Kamiko found herself at a grand opening of a lolita store in town. She was on her way to the studio to rehearse with them, but she got distracted by all the cute clothes in this new shop. She tried on many dresses, hoping to find the perfect outfit to wear to their first official concert, even if it hadn’t been scheduled, yet. 

 

As she shopped, she noticed that more and more people started to gather inside of the store, making things quite crowded. In the madness, she stumbled backward, bumping into someone, who seemed to catch her. She started to apologize, when she looked up to see Shuzo of Trichronika holding her up. Her eyes grew wide as memories began flooding back to her. When she was very young, just a few years before she had met Hikari, Shuzo’s parents and Kamiko’s parents were very close. Both were from upper class families, so just about every event they attended together, (yes, even their play dates) were fancy get togethers, with dress clothes and expensive snacks, imported from all over Sound World. 

 

Around the time the two of them were 3 years old, their parents had dinner at Kamiko’s large home, her butler cooking and serving them. While the two young Myumons played in the next room, their parents had a discussion on how beneficial it could be in the future for them if their son and daughter would marry. It was basically the day Kamiko’s parents arranged her marriage. 

 

Since they grew up together, Kamiko and Shu were very close. However, once they were both old enough to be enrolled in schools, they didn’t see much of each other. Kamiko went to an all girls school, while Shu was in an all boys school. Every now and then, Kami would try to get Shu to come over and play after school, but he had made other friends at school and never seemed to have the time. They grew apart, especially after Kamiko’s family adopted Hikari, but her parents never seemed to forget the “deal” they had made when she was young. They would bring it up to her anytime she would meet a new boy she liked, and she always went along with it. It wasn’t until their senior prom, when the two schools got together, that all of his changed. Both of their parents got them the most extravagant outfits to wear to the event, and made all the arrangements for the two to go together. Hikari, who had no plans whatsoever to go to some stupid dance with a bunch of people she didn’t want to see, watched as her friend grew more and more upset over her lack of freedom to like who she wanted to. Sure, she liked Shu a lot, but she wasn’t sure she even wanted to marry him. There were many nights that she would stay up and talk to Hikari about how it all made her feel.

 

The night of the dance, Kamiko didn’t seem like she was even up to going to the dance anymore, since none of it was turning out how  _ she _ wanted it to. Her prom was something she had looked forward to since she was very young, and Hikari knew this. She hadn’t even met this guy Kami’s family spoke so highly of, but after all of this, she just knew she didn’t like him. While her mother got her ready, Kamiko actually ended up in an argument with her mother about making her decisions for her, which resulted in her mother telling her if she didn’t go with him, then she wasn’t going at all. Somehow, she felt that things were better this way. Maybe they would get the picture that she wanted to go out and find someone on her own.

 

Just after this argument, Hikari, who was sitting on her bed with her headphones in while working on something on her laptop heard the door slam shut, and pulled her headphones out of her ears. “Kamiko? Why are you still here? Didn’t you have a date with Prince Perfection or something?”

 

Kamiko sat at the end of Hikari’s bed explaining to her what happened between her and her mother, and how she told her that she couldn’t go if she didn’t plan on having Shu as her date. Hikari felt something snap when she heard these words. All of this to improve their own image... It was disgusting. She loved Kamiko’s parents and appreciated everything they had done for her, but there were some things they did that annoyed the hell out of her.

 

She stood up and went through Kamiko’s closet, catching the lioness off guard. “H-Hiki? What are you looking for?”

 

“A dress... I’m not letting you miss this dance, after how long you’ve dreamed of going, so we’re sneaking out.” Since Hikari didn’t exactly own anything that was prom-worthy, she had to wear something of Kamiko’s. She ended up choosing a long, black, lacey dress.

 

“Wha!? Hikari, we can’t do that! Mama and Daddy will  _ kill _ us! A-And probably make Sebastian clean up the mess! I’m not sure this is a good idea…” She looked up to see her best friend wearing her dress. It was a drastic change from the things she normally wore, but it looked stunning on her! 

 

Hikari held her hand out to her and helped her up. “You wait here. I will go have a talk with Sebastian about keeping our cover.” Sebastian was Kamiko’s family butler. With him and Hikari being the only two who lived in the house that weren’t related to the family, the two seemed to bond every now and then while being left out of certain conversations. She was sure if she explained the story, that he would be more than happy to help out.

 

She came back in the room and waved for Kamiko to follow her, and lead her down the stairs and out to a limo that Sebastian had called in for them... to pick them up a few blocks down, that way her parents wouldn’t see.

 

The two went to the dance and had a great time, much to Hikari’s surprise. Kamiko remembered seeing Shu there while Hikari was getting them some snacks, and she apologized for everything. Thankfully he was very understanding and told her he felt the same way she did about the whole arrangement, but that they could still be friends. 

 

The girls got into a huge amount of trouble when they got home, but it was all worth it. Her parents eventually forgave her for breaking the deal, but told her flat out that no one else would ever be good enough for her. 

 

Shortly after their graduation, Shu went off to Midicity with a group of his friends from school to start a band, and she never saw him again after that. Recently, she saw that he had changed his name and had become even more successful with a band that was different from the one he was with originally, which she thought was great. Things looked to be working out for him.

 

And now... here he was. He was all grown up now. She had seen him on T.V. many times, but seeing him again in person was much different. “Whoa... ShuShu,” was all she could say, calling him by the name she gave him when they were toddlers.

 

“Why hello there. It sure has been a while.” He helped stand her back up and smiled. “Still as clumsy as ever, I see.”

 

“Hey! That’s not true! I’m only... half as clumsy as before!” she joked, earning a laugh from him.

 

“So what brings you here, exactly? I never would have expected little Kami in the big city without Mama and Daddy~” he teased, flashing a wink to her.

 

She chuckled and pushed him gently. “Aww come on. You knew I had musical dreams just like you did. Hikari and I just recently got signed here by Banded Rocking Records! We are in a band called Monochrome Blush.”

 

The moment she mentioned the name of the record label she had been signed with, he got an intense look in his eyes, remembering one other particular band signed under them. An old friend and previous bandmate of his was also under that label. 

 

Just as he was about to ask if she was familiar with them yet, she spoke up again. “So what about you, mister? Why are you here in this shop?”

 

He shook the other thoughts from his mind, getting back to their little reunion. “Trichronika was asked to perform at their fashion show today, but you missed the show! We just finished,” he said with a small chuckle. “So I was just on my way out. But you should stick around. They are holding tryouts for the next show now that this one is over.” A bright smile grew on Kamiko’s face. How great would it be to model for a place like this?

 

Just then, a voice came over the intercom saying it was the last call for applicants. Shuzo noticed the look in the girl’s eyes and got an idea. He held her arm up and called out with his super charming voice, “I have your model right here!” Many girls in the shop squealed, just noticing the idol in the shop and no longer backstage. He pushed her forward as a small spotlight lit up the area that she was standing. After some whispering between the judges, they picked up a microphone and told her she was hired. If someone like the fabulous Shuzo thought she was good enough, how could they say no? The people who were now surrounding them all cheered.

 

Kamiko covered her mouth, her eyes filling up with tears. She couldn’t believe what he just did! She thanked the judges and the audience, bowing before turning back to Shuzo… who had apparently already left. 


	4. Track 04

**Track 04**

 

Back at the studio, Hikari had just finished rehearsal, without Kamiko... After how excited she was to have Hikari there with her, how could she not show up? By this point, Rom had left long ago. Hikari sighed, leaning back against the wall at her drums. “I’m sorry for taking up so much time in the studio on my own, because of Kamiko’s absence. Who knows what she's even--”

 

Just then, the door flew open, and an extremely giddy Kamiko danced into the studio. “You guys will  _ never _ guess what happened to me today!”

 

Hikari glared at her friend in the center of the room and crossed her arms over her chest. “It better have been something life threatening to keep me waiting like this…” 

 

“No, of course not!” She frowned and put her hands on her hips. “I found a new lolita shop in the center of Midicity! It’s so big and full of the  _ cutest _ clothes! I ran into an old family friend and he told me they were having auditions for models. I wanted to audition, of course, but I was nervous... So then he totally recommended me and I got it!”

 

At those words... the sound of drumsticks being thrown on the ground echoed through the studio. “Why am I not the least bit surprised…” Hikari growled, knowing very well which “family friend” this was. “As usual, Princess Kamiko uses the royal treatment to get exactly what she wants without even trying.”

 

The boys, who at first wanted to congratulate Kamiko all stayed silent, taken by surprise from Hikari’s reaction to the news. They looked back and forth between the two girls. Kamiko was hurt by her friend’s words, ready to defend herself, but Hikari wouldn’t give her the chance to speak.

 

“And of course while you were selfishly taking your time to get here, you completely missed out on rehearsal, after you told me how much you wanted to practice this song I’ve worked so hard on writing.” Hikari crossed her arms and turned her back to Kamiko, who sighed. 

 

“I’m really sorry, Hiki. You don’t understand, though. This is a big deal to me.” She looked up to her friend, who was still giving her the cold shoulder. “How about I make it up to you... I’ll take you out to ice cream, and we can talk about it…”

 

Hikari didn’t respond and grabbed her drumsticks off the floor before sitting back down at her drums. She then started playing them really hard, letting off some steam before she said anything else that may sound too harsh for Kamiko to hear.

 

Kamiko ran her hand through her hair and sighed, turning to the boys. “Well... anyone else wanna go to get ice cream? I’ll buy...”

 

Crow threw a hand in the air, volunteering immediately. He then ran for the door, and waited not so patiently for her to follow along, tapping his foot. “Well come on! Are we going or not!?”

 

Aion and Yaiba both agreed to join her as well, but weren’t quite as impatient as the hedgehog. Kamiko watched Hikari for a moment, but shook her head and started out the door with the boys, closing the door on their way out, leaving Hikari to beat on her drums some more.

 

In the hall, Crow grabbed Kamiko’s hand and started running, the other two members of his band following behind. “Come on! You can’t tease me with ice cream and then take your sweet time getting me there!!” They passed by a grouchy Rom, who was walking with his hands over his ears. 

 

“What is with all the racket!?” He opened his eyes to see Crow and Kamiko hand in hand, running down the hallway. “Um... what the...?” 

 

He opened the door to the studio where he saw Hikari angrily beating on her drums. So this is where all the noise was coming from. But where was that musical passion he heard before. Why was it that this time her playing sounded so… terrible? When she finally stopped, he spoke, startling her. “First of all, why did I just see Crow and your friend running down the hall together? And second... what is with your drumming right now? It sounds so sloppy. You can’t just--”

 

“Is there something I can help you with? I’m kind of not in the mood for you right now...” she grumbled, lifting her arms to start playing again. However, the moment she did, he yanked her drum sticks out of her hands.

 

“Enough!! If you’re not going to put any actual effort into your playing, then don’t play at all! It’s one thing if you were actually playing a beat or something, but just mindlessly hitting them like this is ridiculous! Some of us would actually like a little bit of peace and quiet every once in a while!” he yelled, standing right over her. His intense stare made her cheeks burn. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

 

“It’s none of your business what I’m doing down here!” she shouted, standing on her tiptoes to try to reach her drumsticks that he was holding high in the air. “Give them back,  _ now _ !” she demanded, glaring at him.

 

“Or what?” he asked, now feeling a little bit of satisfaction. He still couldn’t get over how entertaining she was when she was angry. “You act like I should be afraid of you.” 

 

She growled and turned away from him, her hair smacking his face in the process. “I’m out of here…” she started for the door but he blocked it, slipping her drumsticks into his back pocket.

 

“Something bothering you?” he asked with a smirk on his face. “What’s the matter?”

 

Her face was completely red now. What nerve Rom had to push her like this. “Why exactly are you so nosy? It doesn’t concern you, so get out of my way.”

 

“Hmm... can’t do that. You see, until you tell me what is going on inside that head of yours, I can’t allow you to leave.” He didn’t move an inch, and put his hands up in front of her. “I’ll even let you take your anger out on me, rather than your precious little drum set. Come on. Take your best shot!”

 

She shot him another glare before looking down at his hands and balling her own up into fists. “You wouldn’t understand even if I told you!” She threw her first punch, not putting much effort behind it. She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about this just yet. He was really frustrating her, but the last thing she wanted to do was cause a big scene for everyone to come down to.

 

“Try me,” he said in a cool tone, not at all impressed with her first punch, which showed.

 

She punched the other hand just a bit harder. “You don’t know what it is like to have to work  _ so _ hard to get so little and know someone who can get anything she wants just for... being who she is!” She punched him again, this time harder than the last.

 

He nodded, actually listening to what she had to say. “I think I could probably imagine.” He knew all about situations like that, though he wasn’t very open about them. Not these days.

 

“Kamiko gets everything just handed to her because of who her parents are. She just walks in the room and everyone is always complimenting her and giving her gifts and waiting on her hand and foot... Meanwhile, I have to work  _ and _ find a way to make my own dreams come true. I refuse to just let everything happen without working for it. I have to prove I can actually make it on my own, you know?” Now her punches were getting a little fiercer. The more she talked things out, the more power she put behind them. 

 

Rom was trying to be understanding while she vented, but couldn’t help but notice the strength she was starting to put behind each of her punches. “And today, she missed rehearsal to go shopping in a new store in town, and what happened? They chose her to be their model! And she didn’t even audition! It was just given to her, all because a friend of her family  _ just so happened _ to be there!” With that, she gave one final punch as hard as she possibly could, causing him to actually lose his balance for a moment. He shook his hand and stared at her in disbelief for a moment. 

 

She leaned against the wall next to the door and sank to the floor, feeling a little worn out from all of that. He sat down next to her. “You know... I know someone who lived the same lifestyle. It’s not easy to deal with, that’s for sure. Just remember, it’s not necessarily something she chooses to live with. It’s just one of those things that comes with her being raised the way she was.”

 

Hikari sighed, cracking a bit of a smile. “You’re probably right. Who’d have guessed…”

 

He handed her drumsticks back. “Well you may not be aware of this, but in the eyes of my bandmates, I’m a very good motivational speaker. I can easily persuade them, too.” He winked at her, earning an eye roll. At least she had loosened up a bit at this point.

 

“Ehh, I could see them looking up to you, I guess.” She took the drumsticks in her hands and sat them in her lap. “I should probably thank you for what you just did...” Just as she was about to say more, they heard footsteps coming down the hallway. The first thing Hikari could hear was the sound of Kamiko’s laughter. They were back from ice cream already?

 

The door opened and both Kamiko was at the door. “I forgot my bag, so after I get it we can go to ice cream,” Kamiko said as she walked in. Once she grabbed her things, she looked up to see Hikari and Rom sitting right in front of her...  _ together _ ... “Whoa, what do we have here, Hiki?” Kamiko asked, giving her friend a little elbow nudge. “Now I get it! You couldn’t come to ice cream because you needed some alone time~ Am I right?”

 

Hikari stood up, making fists at her sides, her growing red. “Wrong! He just came in here to insult my drumming, then wouldn’t let me leave, but  _ now _ I’m on my way out!”

 

Kamiko smiled, practically jumping up and down on the inside. Hikari wasn’t the type to let any boy get to her. Usually she’d beat them up and walk away without looking back if they ever pissed her off. So what was truly going on here? “But Hiki, you’re blushing, like, super hard right now.”

 

Crow ran a hand through his own hair in an attempt to be attractive. “She is obviously flustered because I entered the room.”

 

“Yaaay... Crow is here…” Hikari teased in an emotionless, sarcastic tone. He shot her a glare from the doorway, to which Hikari couldn’t help but crack a small smile. Rom happened to find this entire scene amusing, but made sure to keep quiet. He didn’t want to stir things up even further.

 

Crow quickly shrugged it off. “Well while you two are down here, I thought I would mention that we decided that all of us should go to ramen tomorrow. What do you think?”

 

Rom thought to himself for a moment. “I’ve got work tomorrow, man, but I will see if I can make it afterward. It’s been awhile since we had ramen night.”

 

Hikari looked over to Kamiko, who was giving her puppy dog eyes. It was very obvious that she really wanted her to come. She sighed. “I guess I can go.”

 

“Great! Then it’s settled! Let’s all meet up around 7:00pm,” Kamiko responded, throwing a hand in the air. “It could be lots of fun~!”

 

As she spoke, a figure passed by the door, but all she was able to catch a glimpse of was a flick of his tail as he passed. She blinked, feeling her cheeks warm up. “Um... who was that?”

 

Rom smirked, responding in a teasing manner. “Oh you know... this guy who happens to live here too. He stands about 6’5”, considers himself a god... The guy’s a monster, really.”

 

“Ohh~ He sounds dreamy,” she said, unintentionally speaking her mind.

 

They all laughed to themselves before Rom shouted to him. “Yo! Aion! Get in here, dude.”

 

Aion turned around, and slowly walked back to the studio… bumping his head on the way in, which made Kamiko gasp loudly. He held his hand to his head as he walked in and looked down at Rom, who still sat on the floor. “Crow is planning ramen for tomorrow. You in?”

 

Aion closed his eyes and looked as if he were pondering the question. “A god such as myself could never turn down an offer to enjoy ramen with his bandmates.”

 

Kamiko clasped her hands in front of her, admiring the taller lion. Everytime he spoke, she felt like she could melt. She watched his tail sway back and forth. It looked so soft... If only she could just touch it... Hikari noticed her friend’s reactions to Aion and smiled, rolling her eyes. “Alright boys, we’ll meet you all there tomorrow. I think it’s about time I get little Kami out of here.” With that, she grabbed her by the arm and took her back up to their room.

 

\---

 

After the events at the lolita shop, Shuzo sat backstage before the Trichronika concert that evening, thinking everything over. Kamiko, the girl he grew up with, was now signed under the same label as Rom, one of his closest friends from high school, and previous band member. After everything went down the night their band broke up, the two hadn’t been able to really see eye to eye. The argument that had pushed them apart had left them both bitter toward each other.

 

The question that was on his mind the most, was just how close was Kamiko and her band to ShinganCrimsonZ, and exactly how much had Rom told her about their past. There was no way he wanted anything from that night coming back to her parents, and then his own. Of course, it was more than just that. A slight wave of jealousy washed over him as he thought about how close they could possibly be.

 

\---

 

The next day, the girls got ready for ramen night together, both deciding to put the argument from the night before behind them. Kamiko, however, could not let go of the fact that Hikari was alone with Rom and kept picking at her every chance she got for it.

 

“Kamiko, it wasn’t at all what you think. He was just letting me vent. That’s all it was,” Hikari replied to the constant kissy faces Kamiko was giving her. Considering the fact that Hikari kept blushing each time she teased her, she wasn’t ready to believe her. Hikari rolled her eyes and started brushing her long hair. “You’re still wrong, Kami. Nothing happened, and nothing is going to happen. Ever. We aren’t even friends. I can’t stand the guy.”

 

“Suuuure,” Kamiko responded. “We’ll just see about that.”

 

Hikari turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “Right... Well what about you? Didn’t you spend all evening with that guitarist? I’d say, if anything,  _ that _ is suspicious.”

 

“You know... You have a point, but you’re wrong, too. He’s definitely a little cutie, but he’s not my type,” she said, letting out a sigh. It sure sounded like someone was.

 

“Ohhh, so now you have a type, huh? Well we know perfect little princes are off the list. So what is it this time?” Hikari questioned, obviously taking a stab at her turning Shu down a few years back.

 

“You’re right... He’s not a prince. He just so happens to be... a god,” she said, her eyes sparkling as she spoke.

 

Hikari laughed, nudging her friend. “How did I not guess that from the beginning? You were practically drooling over him last night!”

 

Kamiko’s face turned red. “W-What? That’s not how I remember it!” She fiddled with her own hair out of embarrassment. She was never really allowed to like anyone before, so now that she could, her feelings for him just happened to show a little more than she intended.

 

“I’m only teasing, Kami.” She gave her a pat on the back. “We should probably head to the ramen house.”

 

\---

 

As the girls walked in to the ramen house, they found Aion, Crow, and Yaiba sitting at a larger table than usual. Aion and Yaiba sat on one side, with Crow sitting right across from Aion. Kamiko took the seat at the end of the table that was right between Aion and Crow, and Hikari sat on the other side of Crow with Yaiba across from her. Thankfully, Rom wasn’t there, because she was tired of Kamiko’s constant pestering about the night before.

 

As the waiter made his way around the table, he took down Aion’s order, Kamiko completely distracted as she listened to his smooth voice. She just adored the way he posed as he spoke. She was so fascinated with him that she hadn’t even realized it was her turn. She never even took the time to check the menu!

 

“U-Uh…” Her face grew red, so she threw her hand on her face in the same manner as Aion to cover this up. “I-I’ll have mine with sriracha.” Everyone found her little moment to be pretty amusing, especially Hikari. Kamiko noticed the judging looks Hikari was giving her and decided she had to get some payback.

 

She grabbed a little pad of paper and a pen and started making some doodles. When the waiter brought all of their bowls of ramen to the table, with a whole other tray just for the boys’ toppings, Kamiko handed him a slip of paper to put on Hikari’s bowl, in place of the one that was already on there. He rolled his eyes and did as she asked before setting her bowl in front of her. Hikari, unsuspecting of what could be on the slip of paper, pulled it out and set it next to her bowl. She reached to the side to grab her chopsticks and happened to look down at the slip of paper... noticing a very  _ suggestive _ little doodle of Rom. She was completely caught off guard while holding her bowl of ramen in her hand, and freaked out, her ramen flying across the table... right on Yaiba’s head.

 

She covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes about three times wider than usual. “I-I’m so sorry. I just...” she looked down at the drawing, then shot Kamiko an angry glare. “ _ YOU _ !! You did this on purpose, Kamiko!” As she was shouting at her friend from across the table, the bell on the door rang. She sat down with her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out.

 

Rom approached the table and sat at the open seat between Yaiba and Hikari. She turned her head to look at him with an annoyed expression on her face, before grabbing the doodle and shoving it in her pocket. Oh god... If he saw that... 

 

“What happened? Someone spit in your ramen or something?’” He asked her, an amused smirk on his face. He then looked at Yaiba, who was a noodley mess, and snickered. “That’s a good look for you Yaiba.”

 

Hikari growled, now even more annoyed than she was before. “It doesn’t concern you, so don’t worry about it!” She let out a huge sigh and waved for the waiter to come back. She didn’t have any food now.

 

Kamiko sat at her end of the table, giggling to herself. It was especially funny when she told Rom it didn’t concern him... because it was  _ totally _ about him. She pretended to mind her own business and drew up another doodle. This time, she drew two little bats with hearts next to them and slid the slip of paper toward Aion, her face completely red. She had never flirted with anyone before, so she had no idea how to ask how he felt or anything like that.

 

The black monster continued posing, but shifted his eyes down at the little drawing. He smiled just a bit under his hand and put the doodle inside his jacket, without saying a word. Kamiko internally squealed, thinking she was going to die!

 

Once everyone was finished eating, the group all went outside to walk back to BRR together. Kamiko followed behind Aion, watching his tail and petting it every once in a while. However, everytime he would turn around, she would put her hands behind her back and act like she was completely innocent. Hikari trailed behind the group, her arms crossed over her chest. She stared down at the ground as she walked. That whole event had her frustrated. She had never been so humiliated in her life.

 

Suddenly, the sound of a car horn snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see a ridiculously long white limo pass by them. ‘What on earth...?’ she thought. It started slowing down just as the back end was approaching. It came to a screeching halt right in front of them as the window of the back seat lowered. She was surprised to see Shuzo, the lead guitarist and vocalist for Trichronika, and Kamiko’s ex.

 

“Evening, CrimsonZ!” he said, flashing them his signature pose with a wink. 

 

Kamiko stopped playing with Aion’s tail as she heard the familiar voice. ‘ShuShu?’ she thought to herself. What was he doing here?  She was about to say hello, when Rom groaned. She looked to the leopard and tilted her head. What was going on? The boys didn’t exactly seem happy to see Shu. Something definitely didn’t feel right.

 

With an irritated tone, Rom responded, “What do you want, Shu?”

 

“Oh, I just happened to be in the neighborhood, and saw my favorite  _ opening act  _ leaving the ramen house, and thought I would stop to say hello!” he said, putting some unnecessary emphasis on the words ‘opening act.’ “However, it does look like I stumbled upon something more than just your usual ramen night,” he teased just as Hikari caught up to the group and stood next to Rom. “Just who might these  _ beautiful  _ kittens be? Oh Rom, I hadn’t realized how soft you’ve become! Letting yourself get tied down so early in your career.”

 

Rom growled and Hikari looked back and forth between the two boys and laughed. “Tied down? You’ve gotta be kidding, right? There’s absolutely nothing going on between us. We don’t even like each other!” she responded. How did ‘Prince Perfection’ even know these guys?  Rom’s hands balled into tight fists at his sides, his anger starting to get the best of him. If this didn’t stop…

 

Kamiko narrowed her eyes at her former boyfriend. He seemed to be acting as if he had never met her or Hikari. Was it because he didn’t want to get into details on  _ how _ they knew each other? She decided to keep quiet and get back to playing with Aion’s tail to seem like she was too distracted to notice.

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Why don’t you just leave and get back to your twins, you little--” But before Rom could finish, he was cut off.

 

“You’re right, I suppose I don’t,” he interrupted with a chuckle. Shuzo couldn’t help but find this whole situation to be hilarious for reasons that none of them knew. As it turned out, he and Rom were the best of friends when they were in school. Any of the times he and Kamiko would go out together, he would tell her to bring Hikari along, saying he had a friend that would be a perfect match for her, considering they had similar personalities. Hikari would always decline, however, hating the idea of being set up with someone, much less someone chosen by him. But now, here they were! 

 

The idol decided not to push the issue any further. It would be fun to just sit back and watch everything unfold exactly how he always predicted they would. “I’ll be on my way now! Enjoy the rest of your evening~” he called out as the limo pulled away. Rom let out an annoyed sigh as he began walking, his bandmates slowly trailing behind.

 

Kamiko was about to follow, but Hikari grabbed her by the arm to stop her. “I really hope this wasn’t your doing, Kamiko. Because I’ve had about enough of these jokes about that drummer.”

 

The lioness flashed her friend a bit of a sad smile. “Of course it wasn’t. Didn’t you see? He acted like he didn’t even know who I was, even after seeing me just yesterday. I was just as surprised by his appearance as everyone else.” It didn’t make any sense to Kamiko, and not just because of the way he pretended not to know her. 

 

Hikari was just about to make a comment on how he could have acted that way as part of her joke, until she noticed the sadness in her friend’s voice. “I guess that  _ is _ pretty strange, isn’t it? I’m sorry for thinking you planned all of that. Why don’t we head back, then?” Instead of questioning Kamiko further, she decided to let it go and get to the bottom of things the next time Shu was around.


	5. Track 05

**Track 05**

 

The next morning, Hikari sat at the bar in Angelica’s, face down on the counter, trying to forget the events that had occurred the night before. It was bad enough that Kamiko wouldn't stop teasing her over Rom, but for Shu, of all people, to show up and do the same? It was infuriating…

 

Why was this even an issue in the first place? Was it just because they were both leopards or something? But he was always so rude to her! It wasn't like she could actually ever like a guy like him… could she?

 

The bell on the door chimed as Crow entered the little cafe, noticing the stressed snow leopard as he walked up to the bar, taking his usual seat. Hikari sat up quickly, slightly embarrassed. “Uh… m-morning,” she stuttered. 

 

“What's up? You look a little down today,” Crow asked, not used to seeing her this way.

 

“Down? No, of course not!” She faked a smile in his direction before looking back down at the counter. “Just… a little tired, I guess.”

 

“That makes sense. You work about as much as Rom does, and his mood changes when he doesn't get enough rest.” Must’ve been a leopard thing to overwork yourself or something. 

 

“Please don’t compare me to him…” she answered, immediately. “We’re nothing alike.”

 

He blinked in response to her sudden attitude change, before giving her a small grin. “Nah, I guess you're right.” Of course everyone knew how similar they  _ actually _ were.

 

“It’s annoying, you know? Everyone always has something to say about him around me… I just don’t get it,” she said with a sigh, as she rested her chin on the counter. She wasn't sure why she was telling him all of this, but she figured it couldn’t hurt to continue. Maybe having at least one person who knew how she felt about the situation would lessen the chances of it happening anymore.

 

While the two talked, Angelica brought Crow a bottle of milk, which earned a curious gaze from Hikari. “What?” he questioned, hoping she wasn't about to tease him for his drink of choice. 

 

Instead, she looked up to Angelica. “Do you have anymore of that back there? And is it possible to have chocolate added to it?”

 

Crow’s ear twitched slightly. No one had ever asked for milk with him before… It kind of made him happy! But what was with the chocolate? “You know… this milk happens to come from my family’s dairy farm! It’s the best there is! So you really shouldn’t add any extra flavoring to it!”

 

Hikari’s face turned slightly red as Angelica brought her the chocolatey drink. She must’ve looked like a little kid to him. In reality, Hikari just loved anything and everything chocolate. “It’s my favorite way to drink it, okay?” She took a sip and her tail swayed happily behind her. “This really  _ is _ good! It came from your family’s farm, you say?”

 

“That's right!” he responded, excitedly. It was nice to have someone ask about something like this. “I actually got signed to my band while delivering milk here just a couple of years ago! But before coming here, I was always helping out with the cattle.” His parents weren’t the happiest when he told them the news that he was leaving for the big city, but he still made sure to visit home when he could to help out and always brought plenty of milk back to the agency.

 

“Farm life sounds interesting… I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors,” she said, thinking back to her flower garden back at Kamiko’s mansion. Living in such a large home like that, where everyone was always trying to wait on her hand and foot, she would constantly find herself sneaking outside to be alone. With all of her flowers and other plants, she created a hide out for herself, right around the small basketball court her adopted family owned. She was the only one who used this area, so she was given the freedom to do with it as she pleased. “I spent a lot of time working on writing my songs outside, actually.”   
  


“You write music?” he asked, genuinely curious. The only songs he had heard the girls perform were his own, but if they were that good when it came to  _ covering _ music, what did their own songs sound like? “Why haven’t we heard any of it?”

 

She scoffed before taking another sip of her drink. “I haven’t finished a single one... I don’t think I’d be happy with performing them. But don’t worry! We won’t be covering Shingan’s songs anymore, if that’s why you’re asking. I’m going to start writing some new songs, soon!” she announced to him with a proud smile.

 

“It will be great to hear what you come up with!” He took a sip of his own milk as they sat in silence once more. Aion had recently composed a song that he was now working on the lyrics for, but he was having a little trouble. Since she opened up to him, he figured it wouldn't hurt to do the same. “To be honest, I'm having a bit of a block with my lyrics, my self.”

 

“I know how that feels…” Hikari sighed and sipped at her chocolate milk. “That's a big part of why we haven’t haven’t released any of our own songs. But… I'd be happy to look over what you have sometime, if you want! We might be able to push through this block together!”

 

“Hah! Like I'd let some cattle read my unfinished work!” he said, turning up his nose to her. She was clearly unimpressed, however. 

 

“Suit yourself, then!” She handed her empty milk bottle to Angelica, who brought her a new one. She smiled and thanked her before glancing over to Crow, who almost looked insulted. “What..?”

 

He scoffed. “What do you mean  _ ‘what?’ _ This is the part where you're supposed to say  _ ‘Let me read the song, oh great and talented Crow of ShinganCrimsonZ! I would do anything to have such a great honor!’”  _ he told her in a mocking female voice while dramatically putting a hand against his forehead.

 

Hikari simply shrugged. “Eh, you said no, so I assumed your final answer was no.” 

 

“Gaaah, do you want to see the song or not?” he asked her, feeling a little frustrated by her attitude.

 

“Depends,” she responded with a smirk. “Do  _ you _ want help or not?”

 

Crow let out a defeated sigh, knowing he wasn't going to be able to sway someone like Hikari that way. “Fine, whatever! 

 

She giggled to herself as he handed her the song, then carefully read every lyric Crow had written down. “Hmm… it's not a bad start.” Without even asking for permission, Hikari took a pencil and erased a few words he had on the page and wrote in a few new ones before handing it right back to him. “What if you change this part to this?”

 

Crow perked up in his seat when she started erasing his incredible work. Who did she think she was, making changes like that without warning? He snatched the paper out of her hand, ready to shout about how insulted he was, until he read over what she wrote. It actually flowed much better than what he had before. He raised an eyebrow and glanced back up to her, slightly impressed.

 

Angelica watched them carefully from the other side of the bar. This was the first time she had ever seen Crow willingly work with someone outside of his own band on a song. Something told her these two were going to make an interesting duo when it came to music, even if this was only the beginning of their friendship.

 

“I think it sounds a lot better now,” she heard Hikari say. “What’s the title again?”

 

Crow rubbed the back of his neck out of embarrassment. “I… don’t have one yet,” he mumbled.

 

Hikari pointed to a part of the song that Crow had just written and looked over to him with a smile. “Why don't you use this part to help you come up with the title, then?”

 

\---

 

About two days later, Hikari stood outside of the practice room listening to Shingancrimsonz rehearse their new song, which was now called Last Flower.

 

Kamiko skipped down the hall, just returning from a photoshoot for her new modeling job, and noticed the smile on Hikari’s face. “What’s up, Hiki? You look awfully happy today!” When she realized which band was rehearsing in the room next to them, she gasped. “Is it because of a bo--"

 

Hikari quickly covered Kamiko’s mouth with her hand. “Don’t say it… And no! I'm just happy we are finally getting to work on music, that's all!” she responded, careful not to mention that she helped write the song coming from the practice room.

 

The lioness pulled her friend’s hand from her mouth. “Are you saying you finished our song??” she asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

 

“Eh--!?” She fiddled with her tail nervously. “No… not exactly. But it's coming! I swear!!”

 

Knowing how hard Hikari usually had to work on music, Kamiko simply smiled. “That's okay! Don’t rush yourself!” She knew Hikari would sometimes push herself a little too hard, which usually lead to her being quite cranky… 

 

Hikari looked up to Kamiko, a little surprised. Sure she had always been supportive of her, but something felt different about the tone of voice she used when she spoke to her that time. “Thanks, Kami, I know… I just want to make sure this one is perfect before we start performing our own songs!”

 

“They will be!” the lioness responded, cheerfully. “Come on, this is us we are talking about!”

 

Hikari chuckled a little. “You know, you’re right! Once we get our first song out there, Midicity won’t know what hit them!”


	6. Track 06

**Track 06**

 

The cafe Hikari had started working at just a few weeks after the girls had moved to the city was a pretty quiet one. It was one of the lesser known cafes in the city, and if she were honest, that was just the way she liked it. The peace and quiet gave her plenty of time to think to herself and even work on her songs when she could. This day happened to be one of those quiet days, so the snow leopard sat up at the bar of the cafe scribbling in her notebook while she waited for customers to arrive.

 

When she heard the sound of the bell chiming as the door opened, she quickly stood and turned to greet the customer with a smile. At least, however, until she saw who the customer was. As usual, Rom of Shingancrimsonz was there for his morning coffee on his way to work. It was bad enough that she had to see him all the time at the studio, but to see him at her job, too?

 

Though… he _was_ the one who took her to the cafe to get the job, but that wasn’t the point! “If I had known you would be in here every single morning, I probably wouldn’t have applied for this job.”

 

“Good morning to you, too,” he responded, a grumpy tone in his voice. What was her problem with him? Was this only because he was a little hard on her and Kamiko for covering their songs? And even after he was nice enough to help her get this job?? And help her get her new drum set?? Though… that part she knew nothing about. He sighed, deciding not to push the subject. “Could I get my usual, please?”

 

“Right…” She got to work on his coffee, while he took a seat at the bar. Did he come in every morning before she worked there too? Or was this something he started doing after he told her about the job?

 

She glanced back at him, noticing his stressed expression. Maybe he had a lot going on at work… It probably wasn’t exactly fair of her to be so cold to him after he did help her get the job, and even allowed her to vent to him about Kamiko just a few days before.

 

Deciding to be nice, she sat a freshly baked muffin next to his coffee. “You should probably eat something before you go. This is on me today,” she told him. She immediately felt embarrassed afterward, and followed up with, “But… don’t expect this all the time, or anything… We just made too many today, that's all.”

 

Smiling at her sudden act of kindness, Rom took his drink and pastry from the bar counter and stood, ready to leave for work. “See, you _do_ know how to be nice!” he commented before taking a bite of the muffin and turning to leave. As he did, he noticed that Kamiko must have arrived just moments before. “Ah, hey Kamiko,” he said to her while walking past her to leave, his mouth still full.

 

The lioness had a huge grin on her face as she looked back and forth between the two leopards. When Rom was out the door, she sprinted up to the counter Hikari was working behind, earning a groan from her best friend. “You didn't tell me Rommie visits you at work, Hiki~”

 

Hikari shook her head and leaned forward against the counter. “I know, right? He comes in every single morning… It’s super annoying!”

 

“Oh, pleeease! I saw you give him that free muffin!” Kamiko teased.

 

“I only did that so he would leave,” she said passively as she turned away from Kamiko so she could pretend to get back to work. She grabbed a towel and started wiping the back counter where she had just made Rom’s coffee.

 

“Or maybe because you like himmm~” the lioness responded with a giggle. Wouldn’t it just be perfect if she could get her best friend to open up a little and finally get a boyfriend?

 

Growling, Hikari continued to scrub the same spot on the counter. “Why can’t you just drop it?” she said through her teeth.

 

“Why can’t _you_ admit that I’m right? You always get so cute and blushy whenever he’s around! Or even just at the mention of his name!” Kamiko wagged a finger at the snow leopard. “You’re just upset that you’re the one who is easy to read this time!”

 

Hikari spun around, glaring at her friend, her face as red as a rose. “Listen, if I give you a free muffin, too, will you just go home??” Without waiting for her answer, she slammed one down on the counter in front of her.

 

The lioness squealed. “Aww, Hiki! You shouldn’t have~” Finally she got up from her seat and looked to Hikari with a little more of a serious look on her face. “I hope you know I’m only teasing you. But _if_ I’m right, you have my support! I’ll see you at home!” And with that she skipped out the door.

 

Hikari crossed her arms and rested her back against the counter with a sigh. Just because she looked up to this guy (not that she would ever tell _him_ that), did that really mean she liked him that way? She closed her eyes and thought to herself for a moment…

 

Of course not! This was just the way Kamiko always saw things. She shook her head and smiled. Someone like her didn't have time for relationships, anyway!

 

\---

 

Later that night, Hikari sat at the bar in Angelica’s working on her song when Crow entered the cafe.

 

“Whatcha got there?” he asked, sitting in his usual spot.

 

Quickly, Hikari shut her notebook. “Ah, just a song I'm working on! But I was just about to take a break!” she told him with an embarrassed laugh. She certainly didn't want him to know how much she was struggling with her own song. Sure, he could help her the way she did for him, but it wasn't the same.

 

Of course, the most embarrassing part was the fact that she kept getting distracted. While Kamiko’s teasing had been getting on her nerves, deep down she wondered to herself if there was some truth to it. _Did_ she actually like Rom? She really had no way to judge it. Hikari had avoided having crushes and relationships her whole life and didn't even know what it felt like.

 

Breaking her from her thoughts, she heard Crow pipe up. “Taking a break? It looked like there was barely anything written on that page…” He placed his hands on his hips and eyed her suspiciously. “Tell you what… You helped me with my song the other day, so why don't you let me repay you by helping you out?”

 

Hikari shook her head, offering a smile his way. “No, that’s okay. I’d really like this first song to be one that I complete on my own, you know?”

 

The hedgehog shrugged as Angelica brought him his milk and a plate of curry. “Whatever you say. I’m sure it will come out fine either way. Besides, everyone is taking a week off to go home, soon, so that should give you plenty of time to work on it.”

 

That’s right! She forgot that was coming up so soon. If she really wanted to, she could lock herself up in her room at Kamiko’s mansion for the whole week to work on the song and not be bothered by a soul… including Rom. A whole week without distractions… that’s what she really needed.

 

“You’re right!” she said, grabbing her things and jumping down from the barstool. “I’ll set my goal to finish this by the end of next week! Then once everyone gets back, Monochrome Blush can finally debut our first original song!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ Hello! Hikari here!! I apologize for the last two chapters being so short, but not to worry! We are starting to get into some of the bigger story arcs, so that won't be the case much longer (except for in the event of filler chapters!) I hope you have enjoyed our story so far! If you have any feedback to give, you may send it to:
> 
> hiki-rose on Tumblr  
> @hikirose on Twitter  
> or fallenrosehiki@gmail.com
> 
> I look forward to reading your comments!!


	7. Track 07

**Track 07**

 

Hikari lied on her stomach and tapped her pencil on the side of her cheek. There was just something about this song she was working on that was driving her crazy. If she couldn’t finish it by the time they made it to Kamiko’s house for holiday, there was no guarantee that she would have the motivation to finish it at all. Her plan was to work on it the whole time they were there, but who could say she would get the chance to? Knowing Kamiko, she had all sorts of things planned for them this week…

 

She sighed and rolled over on her back. Just a few days before, she was able to easily help Crow with a song he was working on for his band, so why was this one so much harder?

 

The door to her room flew open and her best friend, bandmate, and roommate, Kamiko walked in yapping on the phone about her plans for their week off. She ended the call and cheered a little excited squeal. “Hikari! Guess what! You’ll never believe who is going to be at the mansion this week!”

 

Hikari grumbled and rolled over to face her. “I don’t know, Kamiko, who...?” she asked, showing a sarcastic enthusiasm.

 

“Remember the designer that made the dress I really liked on the cover of my favorite magazine?” she asked. She didn’t even give Hikari the chance to respond before she continued. “She’s going to be spending the week with my parents and even promised them they would make a dress just for me! No one will ever have anything like it!”

 

The snow leopard rolled her eyes. Figures... Of course Kamiko was going back home to being her old spoiled self. She was not at all looking forward to this week. Maybe she could hang out with Sebastian for a few days. He was the only person in that whole house that didn’t annoy her.

 

“Oh! And by the way, I told Mama that she could stay in your room. You can always just sleep in my--”

 

“Wait, what? You’re dragging me back there so you can meet with some frilly designer, and I can’t even have my own bed? Are you kidding me?” Hikari asked, sitting up quickly. How could she possibly get anything done if she couldn’t lock herself up in her room?

 

“But... Mama and Daddy are having some work done on the mansion and it's impossible to get to the guest bedrooms right now. This is really important, Hiki! Don’t be selfish! I planned to have her make you something, too. It will be fun!”

 

Hikari growled. This girl was really stressing her out. “Excuse me?  _ I’m _ being selfish? All you seem to care about right now is some stupid dress and  _ I _ am the one being selfish? I don’t need some lame clothes for you to make it up to me, Kamiko.” She stood up and started shoving things into her bag. 

 

Kamiko froze, not expecting Hikari’s sudden outburst. Even if she wasn’t into the same things, she usually at least supported her excitement. Why did she seem so tense lately? “Uhh... Hikari? What are you doing?”

 

“I’m getting out of here. I will take a vacation on my own. I’m not going back to that place when I’m supposed to be relaxing.” She threw her bag over her shoulder and put her shoes on.

 

“You’re doing what? But where will you go?” Since Hikari didn’t exactly have family outside of Kamiko and her parents, there wasn’t really anywhere for her to stay.

 

“Don’t know... Don’t care, really. I’ll figure something out.” She grabbed her phone and turned it off, then shoved it in her pocket. Maybe if she shut herself off from communication, she might even be able to focus on her music.

 

\---

 

Hikari stormed out of BRR and headed toward the nearest bus stop. With her headphones in, she blocked out everything from the outside world. As she stopped at the bus stop, one particular Myumon recognized her.

 

“Yo, Hikari!” Crow yelled, not realizing at first that she probably couldn’t hear him. He gently tapped her shoulder. She jumped and clenched her fist like she was going to hit someone. He flinched and held his arms over his face. “Hey! Not the face!”

 

The snow leopard sighed and shoved her headphones in her backpack. “What do you want, Crow? I’m not in the mood.”

 

Why was she always so grouchy? “I just thought I’d see what you were doing here. Kamiko told me you two were going home together,” he asked.

 

“Well it’s obvious that we aren’t, isn’t it? I’m going to find somewhere that I can be alone. I need to get this new song finished before I go insane...” she responded after a growl. Why was he so nosy? 

 

He hated seeing her so angry. Not so long ago, she had helped him with a song for his band. When she was working on music, she didn’t seem so bad. They laughed and carried on in the process of finishing the song. It was like the two were able to connect through music. Maybe he could help her finish the song. “Well... if you don’t have anywhere else to go, you’re more than welcome to come back to my parents’ farm with me. It’s pretty quiet and peaceful there, so you will be able to relax and work on your song.”

 

She sighed. That actually didn’t sound too bad. She did have fun hanging out with him recently. “Fine... I’ll go, but if Kamiko asks, I… went hiking in the mountains or something. If she knew where I was, she’d want to come too and she’s been a little distracting lately.” She hated saying such things about her best friend, but it was true. All she ever wanted to talk about was the crush she  _ assumed _ Hikari had on Rom... Usually, they were able to do anything together, but with how stressed Hikari had been since they moved to BRR, she had recently been losing her temper with her.

 

The girls had started a band together, covering the songs of a band they respected, highly, to make their dreams come true. Doing so got them exactly where they wanted, and that was being signed to a record label. Not just any label, though, but the same as the very band they were covering. Ever since they day they got signed, Hikari spent most of the nights she wasn’t working at the cafe on new music for them to play. She had so many great ideas, but to get the exact sound she wanted there was just something missing... but what? 

 

She continued writing, trying her hardest to come up with a song that worked for a single guitar and drums, but it never seemed to satisfy her. No matter where she was or what she was doing, it was always on her mind and seemed to bother her. Being Hikari, however, she kept these worries inside. She wasn’t normally the kind of person to speak her mind.

 

She adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder and turned to look at him, a bit of a smile sneaking its way onto her face. Without trying, he was able to calm her down. Maybe this little vacation could be good for her.

 

Crow flashed her a little smile in return. That was better. “Great! The ride there is a little long, but you can tell me about this song you are working on, and maybe I can help!”

 

Hikari averted her eyes when he smiled back at her, confused. Why did it give her butterflies? She didn’t get nervous about anything. She cleared her throat just as the bus pulled up to the stop. “Uhh, if you really want to. It’s not that great... That’s why I need to focus.”

 

She got on the bus and walked back to the very last seat, wanting to be as far away from others as she could. Crow followed behind and sat in the seat on the opposite side of the aisle, rather than taking the one right next to her. He knew how quickly her attitude could change and he didn’t want to risk making her mad.

 

Hikari reached into her bag and grabbed a small notebook. Inside, she had some notes scribbled down. She sat quietly for the first thirty minutes of their trip, reading over the notes and silently humming to herself, erasing a few notes and rewriting them. Crow sat staring straight forward. As usual, he was a bit antsy to get home, and would normally be tapping his heel impatiently as he waited for the bus to make it to his hometown, but instead, he relaxed into his seat and listened carefully. Was this the song she was having trouble with?

 

The snow leopard sighed, humming the tune, again. As she did, she closed her eyes and tapped a beat on her notebook with her pencil. It all fit together in her mind, but it didn’t exactly feel completed. 

 

Crow closed his eyes as well and tried to hear the tune she was humming. It sounded really nice coming from her. She growled a little and started erasing something, furiously, mumbling to herself that something wasn’t going to work.   
  
“What’s up?” Crow asked her, opening his eyes to look in her direction. “I thought it sounded pretty nice.”   
  
Hikari froze, her cheeks heating up a little. She was trying to be quiet... She wasn’t used to having anyone listen while she wrote music. She slammed the notebook shut, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Ah, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She dropped the book into her backpack and crossed her arms, then turned her head to stare out the window.    
  
He watched her for a moment, feeling a little guilty for speaking up. “Man, I’m shocked that you wouldn’t want advice from someone as amazing as I am!” he teased, hoping to get her to open up to him just a little.   
  
Hikari turned to glare at him, figuring he was just being his usual cocky self. When she saw him, he smiled, chuckling a little. She raised an eyebrow, not exactly sure how to react to this. She wanted to yell at him for being nosy again, but couldn’t find the right words.   
  
“Come on, I’m only kidding. I don’t mean to embarrass you, but it sounded really good. If there is a problem with it, I want to help.” He held out his hand, motioning for her to show him the notebook. She looked down at his hand, then back up to his smiling face. Why was he doing that? Was he always this smiley? He never seemed to act like this at BRR. Something told her, however, that she just couldn’t be mad at that face...    
  
She reached in the bag and handed him the notebook, avoiding eye contact with him as she did. He took the book in his hand and flipped to the page she was working on. There were a lot of scribbles and thoughts on the side, some being a little too negative toward herself, which made him frown. He didn’t want to poke at her and ask questions, but had another plan in mind.    
  
In the seat next to him was his guitar case. He opened it up and pulled out Red Tomahawk and gave it a quick strum. He propped the notebook up on his bags and glanced over to Hikari. “Play me that beat again, okay?”   
  
Hikari blinked, just a little taken back. “Uh... o-okay,” she said, gulping. She grabbed a second pencil and began tapping a beat on the seat in front of her. Luckily, there was no one sitting there. Crow bopped his head to the beat and read over the notes on the page for a moment, waiting for just the right moment. When the timing felt right, he started playing her song on his guitar. It didn’t sound quite the same, considering it wasn’t plugged into an amp, but it still gave her something to listen to.   
  
Once they finished the song, she just sat and stared at him for a moment. “See,” he said to her. “It sounds awesome! I don’t see anything that needs changed. What exactly is the problem?”   
  
Just a little speechless, she stared down at the floor, taking a moment to think. “I’m not sure, exactly. It just feels like something is missing. I know there is something I need to be adding, but nothing sounds right.”    
  
“I’m sure you will get it! We have all week, you know. I’ll make sure that you have a quiet place to work and that no one will bother you. My family will be pretty understanding, trust me,” he said, handing the notebook back to her. “Just relax. This is supposed to be a vacation, after all. And if you still haven’t finished by the time we get back, you should totally talk to Aion. He writes all of the music that gets to be graced by my amazing, passionate lyrics!”

 

She couldn't help but smile again. "You're so full of yourself sometimes..." It was kind of cute, she thought. Why did she think so, though?

 

"Damn right I am! Can you blame me?" he teased, looking over to her with eyes that sent chills through her whole body. She went to grab the notebook from him, but dropped it out of nerves. It fell open to a page in the back, which had a song that looked like it was completely finished. "What's that one?"

 

She was quick to grab it and slam it shut again. "It's nothing, don't worry about it!" she shouted, her face getting bright red. She had never shown that song to anyone. Even though it was probably the only song she had ever written that she felt satisfied with, she was embarrassed to show it off. 

 

"Alright," he said, turning to face forward again. He placed his hands behind his head and sat in silence again. After a few moments, he spoke up again, deciding to change the subject. “So what made you decide not to go with Kamiko back to your hometown?"

 

She closed her eyes and growled. "Why are you so nosy?" She balled her hands up into fists in her lap and stared out the window.

 

He glanced at her, feeling a small wave of concern wash over him at her change of attitude. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me. I was just curious. You two do everything together and I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

 

She sighed and faced forward, resting her head back against her seat. "Even though I grew up there... it just isn't home to me. We were going back to have some time at home, but after everything she told me she was going to be doing while we were there, I could tell I was going to feel more stressed than I have been at BRR. So that's why I decided to find somewhere to go on my own." She sighed and turned her head to look at him. For some reason, she noticed that no matter what they were doing or talking about, she just couldn't feel stressed around him. 

 

He looked down and nodded. "I see... but why didn't you just go home to your own family? I'm sure they really miss you." He didn't blame them. There was just something about her that he couldn't stop thinking about lately.

 

She laughed a little, which shocked him. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting. "You're wrong about that... There's a reason I've lived with Kamiko for so long." He tilted his head in confusion. What did she mean? "I'm going to tell you this, but you have to keep it between us, okay?"

 

He nodded, a little concerned by the way she was talking. "Of course."

 

She sighed, patting the seat next to her. He grabbed his bags and moved to sit closer to her. "When I was born, my parents abandoned me. They left me behind at an orphanage because I..." she trailed off, not so sure she wanted to share too much information with him. “I just wasn't what they expected.”

 

She played with her hands in her lap and stared down at them. "While there, I learned all about music from one of the older kids. We were really close, but when he got adopted, I had no one to talk to, so I kept away from all the other kids, and tried teaching myself how to play the drums. Since I wasn’t old enough to take music classes, it was the easiest thing to teach myself without having my own instrument. I was able to make a pretend drum set out of all kinds of things.” She chuckled to herself as she remembered one particular drum set she made. “Once, I made a whole set out of cardboard boxes, and for whatever reason, I was really proud of them!”

 

“However, I was constantly picked on by some kids that were much older than I was... and one day they took them from me and busted up those boxes." He listened to her carefully, feeling really sorry for her. If he had known, he would have never asked. He made sure to let her know he was listening. She continued. "I  _ did _ teach them not to mess with me again, though. After that, I started sneaking off to the local music school to sit outside and listen to the classes, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, because Kamiko was running late for class and thought I was a student, so she dragged me in there with her." She chuckled a little, turning her head away from him to hide the fact that she had tears in her eyes. "It was a big mess... But after school, she took me for ice cream and asked me about myself. Next thing I know, her parents adopted me into their family.” 

 

“I do respect them, and I definitely love Kamiko, but I don't really know what it's like to have a real family who loves and misses you."

 

He slowly reached over and placed his hand on hers. "I'm really sorry, Hikari. I had no idea. I couldn't imagine what that could possibly feel like." She turned quickly to look at him, shocked by the fact that he was touching her. "But don't worry. All of us at BRR are there for you, no matter what. And trust me, the moment you step foot on my parents' farm, they will take you in as if you were family. That's just how they are." He gave her a genuine smile, which practically made her heart melt.

 

No one had ever truly listened to her like that. There weren't very many people she had told this to, but the ones she had usually acted like they understood her feelings. And none of them ever tried to comfort her. They always sat awkwardly until they could think of a reason to talk about something else. Her cheeks grew red. "Uhh...Thank you, Crow. I didn't mean to sound like I was asking for support. I've done fine this long on my own..."

 

"It's okay," he said while giving her hand a squeeze. "You don't have to be alone anymore." He stared into her bright green eyes for a few moments, his heart beating just a little faster. Ever since she helped him work on his song a few weeks before he had developed a small crush on her. Now here they were, completely alone.

 

She gazed up at him, a million thoughts going through her mind. He was being way too sweet to her. It was unreal. No one ever treated her this way. Like... ever. Suddenly, she noticed that he was slowly leaning closer to her. She gulped and quickly turned her head. "Ah... haha. So your parents' have a farm, huh? You probably bring all the ladies there, don't you?" she asked, changing the subject, nervously. 

 

He stopped and opened his eyes. Blushing super hard, he rubbed the back of his head. "Well not really, no. I've actually never brought anyone with me." 

 

That was close... Growing up, she and Kamiko went to an all girls school, so she didn't exactly have much experience with guys in these sorts of situations. She did feel a bit disappointed that she had stopped him. She didn't think of him that way... "Oh... Well why's that?" she asked.

 

"Pfft... Ha! There's enough cattle on the farm, already! Could you imagine the crowds if all of Shingancrimsonz were there?" he responded, his usual cocky attitude returning.

  
Hikari couldn't help but chuckle at his answer. "Uh huh... Because that would  _ totally _ happen." She nudged him with her elbow and relaxed into her seat. They still had a while to go, so she might as well get some rest. It might help her think a little clearer when she had the chance to work on her music again.


	8. Track 08

**Track 08**

 

Just a few hours later, the bus came to a stop that seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. Crow looked out the window and made an excited little squeal. Luckily, Hikari was asleep and didn't hear his embarrassing reaction. 

 

He gulped as he looked down at her. She looked so peaceful... but he had to wake her up so they could get off the bus. Slowly he reached forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey! We made it to our stop!"

 

Hikari groaned and opened her eyes. "Hmm...? Oh!" She sat up and grabbed her backpack. "Let's go, then!" she said with a smile as she threw her bag over her shoulder.

 

The two stepped off the bus and Crow turned around to face Hikari. "I just want to warn you, my parents may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but they are just really friendly."

 

Hikari shrugged. "It won't bother me," she said, surprising even herself. She wasn't exactly a social person, but something about being in a real family setting was something she was suddenly looking forward to.

 

He nodded, his excited little smile returning. He spun back around and started walking, the snow leopard following behind. He took a deep breath, gripping the strap of his guitar case. It felt nice to breathe that fresh country air again. Sure, he loved living in the city, but this place would always be home to him.

 

Hikari took in all of the sights around her. There were so many open fields. Did his family own all of this land...? As they walked, they passed by an old fashioned red barn. It looked as though it hadn't been used in years. Up ahead, a large farmhouse with a much newer looking barn became visible. “Is that it over there?” she asked, pointing in its direction.

 

“Yeah. This is where I grew up.” She smiled to him and caught up so she could walk at his side. This rowdy little rocker grew up here? It was much different than she would have ever expected. 

 

As they grew closer to the house, the front door flew open and a pair of older hedgehog myumons stepped outside. The female rushed toward Crow and threw her arms around him. “Oh~ Our little Hoglet has finally returned home!”

 

Hikari couldn’t help but chuckle as she watched Crow be smothered in hugs and kisses, by who Hikari could only assume was his mother. It was kind of sweet. “And this time, he even brought a girlfriend home with him!” the lady cried with excitement. She finally let go of Crow, who had to take a moment to catch his breath, and she gave Hikari a huge squeezing hug. The leopard was completely caught off guard and her face was bright red. 

 

“Ma! Hikari is just my friend. She’s here to work on music with me,” Crow told her while brushing off his clothes. He looked up to see that she had taken Hikari in after releasing him. “Aww come on... She just got here. You should give her some space...” he said, a little embarrassed.

 

She finally let Hikari go, but put her hands on her shoulders. “Well either way, we are glad to have you here, dear! Feel free to take the bed in Crow’s old room,” she said with a big smile. She took Crow by the arm and spun him around until he was facing the door and pushed him forward. “Now go on and show her to the room, Crow. You two wash up and I will get dinner ready.”

 

Hikari thanked his mother before following him inside. She walked quietly with him as he lead her up the stairs to a room where an attic would have been if they had one. It was a large country style room with a single bed, a toy box overflowing with toy cars and farm animal plushes. It was kind of cute. 

 

The embarrassed little hedgehog turned to face a smiling Hikari and held up a finger. “Not one word... I haven’t used this room since I was a kid.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not here to judge, ‘Hoglet,’” she said, using the name his mother had, teasingly. “What does that even mean, anyway?” She couldn’t help but giggle... which wasn’t a sound Crow was used to hearing come from her.

 

He knew that was coming. At least it was better that she asked now that it was just the two of them, rather than later when his mother was there. “Ahh... Well... you see. When you were a baby... you were called a cub.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his face grow red. “Hedgehogs... are hoglets... when they are babies...” He braced himself for the judging comments he was sure to hear from her, next.

 

“Oh my  _ god _ ,” she replied. “That’s probably one of the most adorable things I’ve ever heard!”

 

“A-Adorable?” he asked, blushing deeply. “Just... keep it between us, okay?” He would hate to hear the comments from his bandmates if they were to ever hear the nickname. Rodent was frustrating enough to hear all the time.

 

“Your secret is safe with me, Hoglet,” she teased. After everything he had done for her, already, there was no way she would embarrass him with the nickname in front of everyone. That just wouldn’t be fair.

 

“Seriously, Hikari...?” She was going to keep saying it, even though it obviously bothered him.

 

She put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell anyone. I promise. Doesn’t mean I can’t like it~” she said as she poked him in the chest. His face was really red, wasn’t it? She probably should have felt guilty for embarrassing him so much, but she couldn’t get enough of his reaction. 

 

He huffed a frustrated sigh, turning his head away from her as she poked him. “Fine... Whatever.” 

 

Hikari’s expression softened once she realized he was actually getting annoyed with her. “Hey... I didn’t mean to insult you or anything. I really do just find it cute. I’m not going to say anything. Whatever happens while we are here this week stays between us, got it?” She held her pinky out to him, something she and Kamiko used to do as kids when they would make promises to each other. It was never official with them until it was a pinky promise.

 

He looked over to her and cracked a smile when he saw what she was trying to do. He held out his own pinky and wrapped it around hers. “Deal.”

 

\---

 

Hikari unpacked her bag in the room and got herself all cleaned up in time for dinner. Crow had already ran off to his own room to get ready. She walked back into the bedroom after washing her face, drying it off with a towel. She gazed around the room, really enjoying the homey feeling it gave her. It was a big change from the mansion Kamiko lived in. The mansion felt like more of a museum than a home. 

 

A knock at the door brought her back from her thoughts, so she turned around to see Crow standing in the doorway. “Ma finished making dinner. You hungry?” He still wore his red shirt and tie, but was no longer wearing his jacket. It looked kind of nice... 

 

She cleared her throat and shook her head. “Um, yeah, sure! Dinner sounds great!” she replied with a nervous laugh. There were those butterflies again. Where were they coming from? This was  _ Crow _ . 

 

She followed him down to the dining room. The table was set with a spot for the two of them and both of his parents. There was all sorts of food placed in the center of the table. This was not something Hikari was used to at all. At Kamiko’s the butler would bring each of them a plate of food. If they wanted more, he had to get it for them, which usually resulted in at least one person judging for how much that person was eating. Normally, she would wait until dinner was over and hang out in the kitchen with Sebastian and eat the leftovers while the two of them made fun of whatever prissy guest they had that evening had said.

 

Crow rushed to the table and took his seat, scooting the open one next to him out and patted the seat so she would sit there. “I forgot to tell you that Sunday nights are the best time to have dinner here. Ma always goes all out in the kitchen, and I bet there is going to be some kind of dessert in there for later,” he whispered to her, an excited little giggle escaping him after he spoke.

 

She smiled. “It all looks great!” Everyone started filling their plates with food the moment they sat down. Suddenly feeling the tiniest bit of shyness, Hikari decided to wait until the entire family had their plates prepared, that way she wouldn’t be taking anyone else’s share.

 

“Go on and help yourself, Miss Hikari,” Crow’s father said to her. 

 

His mother nodded and put a hand on Crow’s shoulder. “Why don’t you give her a hand, Sweetie.”

 

“O-Oh. That’s okay. I was just...” She looked over as Crow nodded to his mother with a smile. He began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, just the slightest bit of muscle showing as he did.  _ What!? _ Out of all the guys, he was the one she imagined to be weak and scrawny. She just sort of assumed so by how small he was, and by the fact that his clothing usually covered just about every inch of him. Suddenly, images of him flooded her mind. Obviously, growing up in a farm made a huge difference. Her face felt like it was about to burn off. Hopefully no one could tell she was blushing. “Um... Okay then. Thank you, Crow,” she said as he placed a plate in front of her.

 

“So tell us about yourself, dear! You must be into that rock music our little Hoglet likes if you are here to work on music together. Are you in one of those bands, too?” his mother asks, starting up a conversation.

 

She breathed a sigh of relief. Something to take her mind off of what she just saw. “Oh! Yes, ma’am. My best friend and I are in a band called--”

 

“Monochrome Blush. They used to play our music at cafes and smaller venues. They’re really good, Ma. They just got signed to our label just a few months ago,” Crow said, practically interrupting her. Hikari looked over to him in shock. Not only was he explaining how her band got started to his mother, but he was giving them compliments, too.

 

“Ahh, I see~ So its just you and your friend, huh?” she asked, seeming highly interested. Living out where they did, Crow’s family didn’t hear much about the newest up and coming bands in Midi City.

 

“Uh huh. We’ve dreamed of being in a band together since we were kids. It’s great to finally have the opportunity.” She smiled brightly. “I’m working on our first song of our own right now. She is out visiting her family right now, so I plan to have it ready by the time we meet up again.”

 

“She’s with her family? But you came here, dear. Didn’t you want to go ho--” Crow coughed loudly, about to choke on the milk he was drinking. He didn’t want her to bring up Hikari’s family and make her uncomfortable.

 

“Ma, did I tell you that Hikari loves drinking milk, too? She drinks it with chocolate in it. Can you believe it?” he asked, quickly. He reached under the table and took her hand, giving it a small squeeze as if he were telling her not to worry. His mother looked to him with an expression on her face that told him it was rude to interrupt. He shook his head and showed a bit of concern. She could tell it was a topic that he didn’t want her to bring up, and she respected this.

 

“Chocolate milk...? Well why didn’t you say so, dear? I’ll have to get out the good chocolate for you. Excuse me for just a moment.” She got up from the table and walked back to the kitchen.

 

As she left the room, Hikari looked over to Crow... who was still holding her hand. She didn't stop him, though. It wasn't like he was hurting anything by it. "Thanks for that..."

 

He smiled and gave her a thumbs up on his free hand while winking at her. "If my secret is safe with you, then yours is safe with me."

 

She gripped his hand lightly, which made him realize he was still holding hers. His eyes grew wide and he let her go, mumbling an apology under his breath. She chuckled a little and took her first bite. It was so good!

 

His mother came back in with a little dish of melted chocolate. It wasn't syrup. It was a block of real chocolate that she had melted for Hikari to mix into her milk. "Here you are. This is the best there is, so I'm sure you will like it! Have as much as you'd like. We have plenty."

 

Hikari's eyes sparkled as she sat the dish in front of her. She took the spoon and scooped some into the milk bottle that was at her place and mixed a decent amount in before taking a sip. ' _ Oh my god _ ,' she thought. "This is amazing! Thank you so much!"

 

"You are very welcome. We make it ourselves! There are so many things you can make with milk, you know. Just like the homemade ice cream we have in the freezer for dessert," his father told her in response.

 

Crow cheered quietly to himself after hearing this, then turned to Hikari and whispered. "See? I told you there would be dessert!"

 

The dinner was fantastic. The chicken was great, the potatoes were the best she had ever eaten, and the corn on the cob looked like they had grown it themselves! After the family finished eating, they all stayed seated at the table and continued to talk to each other. They talked about their lives, specifically those of Hikari and Crow, about music, about Hikari's job in the cafe... Not all the business related talks she and Kamiko had to listen to at dinner with her family. This was much more comfortable.

 

Crow watched Hikari out of the corner of his eye, loving the way she lit up when she spoke. He wasn't used to seeing her this way. She didn't seem nearly as stressed as he usually saw her when they were at BRR. Maybe bringing her home with him was a better idea than he had originally thought. 

 

When everyone was finished, Hikari grabbed a couple dishes and helped carry them to the kitchen. It was the least she could do for the wonderful meal they gave her. Crow’s mother stopped her as she made it to the sink and took them from her hands. "Don't you worry about these. I've got them. You're a guest!

 

"A-Are you sure? I don't mind helping. You have all done so much for me already..." Hikari said, feeling a little guilty. She wasn't the type to take things without working for them, but being with a family that wanted nothing more than to take care of each other and any guest who stayed with them was nice. It felt different, and she wanted to show them her appreciation. 

 

"Yes, yes! You go on and get some rest, dear. You will need your energy to finish that little song of yours," she said with a smile. "Sleep well tonight, okay? If you need anything, I'm sure little Crow won't mind getting it for you."

 

She smiled, finally deciding to give in. "Okay. Thank you, ma'am." 

 

She turned away and started toward the room she was staying in, and passed by another room with the door open just a crack. Inside, she could hear one of Shingancrimsonz's latest songs. That must have been Crow's room. Slowly, she pushed the door open. As she did, she found herself in a large room with red walls, a black futon against one wall with red decorative pillows, a huge round bed with black pillows and blankets, and a little open area off to the side with a few instruments. Among these instruments were a couple of guitars, a drum set, and a black piano. 

 

Crow was nowhere to be seen... Where did he disappear off to? Next to the area with the instruments, she saw another little door, which suddenly opened and the hedgehog stepped out, not expecting her to be in the room. The moment he opened the door, she saw that he was no longer wearing his shirt and tie. She froze in place, a bit caught off guard. Growing up on this farm  _ did _ do wonders for him.

 

Crow, who had been too lost in his own lyrics, opened his eyes after drying his hair with a towel and wrapping it around his neck. "Oh! Hikari! Glad you're here. I didn't get the chance to show you all of this earlier!"

 

All of  _ that _ ? He didn't mean what she thought he meant, right? Was this why he was waltzing around with no shirt on? To show off? Who did he think he--

 

"Over here, come on!" He stood next to all of the instruments he had and waved for her to come to him. "When we remodeled the house and added this room, my parents bought all kinds of used instruments and made a little practice area in my room so that I could practice anytime I wanted. The walls are soundproof, so the noise doesn't bother my parents."

 

Oh... He meant the instruments. ' _ Silly me _ ...' Hikari thought. She gulped back any nervousness she was starting to feel and followed him over there. Those damn butterflies were back again...

 

"This is awesome! You have a drum set? I didn't know you played drums!" she said, sounding impressed. 

 

"Uhh... I don't actually. Ma kind of went a little crazy when they bought all these, hoping to help me get a band started. No one around here really wanted to do anything with music, though, and by the time I met the guys, they already had their own. So instead, we keep them here in case they ever are over here and want to rehearse," he told her as he picked up one of the guitars. It was black and had silver writing on the bottom. Hikari leaned forward to read what it said.

 

"Keep aiming for the top! Rock on, little buddy..." Hikari read out loud. She squinted her eyes to try and make out the signature at the bottom. "Grateful... King!? Wait a minute... you have a guitar autographed by Grateful King??"

 

Crow smiled a proud smile. "Damn right, I do! When I was young, I had always looked up to him. One year the fair in our town held a concert, that I was finally able to go to! In the same day, they held a talent contest with first prize being the very guitar he used on stage! I entered by singing one of his songs and won first place. It was probably one of the greatest moments of my life... This was my very first guitar. Ever since that day, I decided I wanted to be just as good as him, so that maybe one day we could be jamming up on stage together!"

 

Hikari stood back up and smiled at him. "Crow, that's awesome! You're definitely there, I can tell you that much." She sat down at the drums, and stared up at him from behind. It would be pretty awesome to play with him someday. He  _ was _ pretty great. His lyrics, his playing, his singing...

 

He turned to the side and glanced back to her. "So what about you...?"

 

"Hmm...?" She blinked for a moment, not sure she heard the last thing he had said.

 

"I mean... What made you want to play drums?" he asked. He wasn't sure if she had ever mentioned it before.

 

"Oh..." She looked down at the drumset and sighed. She could tell him. He already knew about what happened with her parents, so she knew she could trust him. "Well drums were the first instrument I learned of course… And since Kamiko wanted to sing and play guitar, it just kind of worked out, I guess."

 

He nodded. "So if drums were the first instrument you learned, does that mean you can play other instruments, too? Like maybe guitar?" he asked just before shredding it on the guitar he was holding, just to show off and make her smile again.

 

She stood from the drums and laughed a little as she put a hand on the guitar to make him stop. "No, I don't play guitar... But you might want to be quiet! You'll get yourself in trouble!"

 

"Soundproof walls, remember?" he told her as he kept going, just to mess with her. He winked at her and turned away and, playing what sounded like Falling Roses.

 

Hikari inhaled sharply as he winked at her. How was he being so adorable? She wasn't used to seeing him this way. She crossed her arms and pouted, cheeks red. "Fine then! I'll just see myself up to my room for the night'"

 

The moment she spoke these words, the guitar playing stopped immediately, which earned a small devious smirk from Hikari that he couldn't see just yet. He turned to face her and she put on an innocent face. "Oh, hell no. You're not going anywhere until you tell me what else you play! I have to know!"

 

"Oh is that so, little Hoglet?" she replied in a teasing voice, embarrassing him. She leaned against the piano, her arms still crossed. "Well if you must know... I happen to know a _little_ bit of piano."

 

"What!? No way!" He sat the autographed guitar back on its stand and ran over to her at the piano, practically sliding to a stop at the bench. He pulled up the cover, revealing the keys and sat on the bench. He pat the seat next to him, wanting her to sit down. She chuckled at him and sat next to him. "You have to play something for me!"

 

She smiled to him. "It's late... and I haven't practiced in years,” she lied. “How about another time...?"

 

When it came to the piano, Hikari was a little secretive. Sure, drums were the instrument she played, but she actually had a passion for playing the piano. This was something even Kamiko didn't know about her.

 

The hedgehog pouted. "Hmph... fine. But you  _ will _ play for me before we go back to the city, right?"

 

That pout... damn it Hikari, stop blushing over him. She reached up and lightly pinched his cheek, teasingly. "Of course I will, Hoglet."

 

He mumbled to himself and rubbed his cheek. "Would you quit calling me that? It's not funny."

 

She stood up and shrugged. "I never said it was funny. I just think it's cute~" Hikari, who lacked any experience with boys was unsure how to handle this situation. Was that considered flirting? And if it was... how okay was she with doing so? Out of all of the guys, he seemed to be the least annoying to her back at BRR, but she never imagined finding him "cute" or even... Her eyes scanned his body, slowly remembering he was still shirtless. Okay, yes, she found him pretty attractive. But it was something more than that. There was something about him that made her feel relaxed. It was easy to let her guard down and not stress out about anything.

 

He sighed, eyeing her for a minute. At least hearing the name sounded better coming from her than his mother, he'd admit that much.

 

Hikari walked away from the little studio and plopped herself down on the futon, feeling a box behind her feet. She pulled it out to see that it was labeled 'Shingancrimsonz.' "What's this, Crow?" She held it up and tilted her head curiously.

 

"Ahh... well..." He wasn't exactly sure how to explain. He didn't want her to think any weird thoughts about him.

 

She opened the box to find four little plushies. One for each member of his band. " _ Oh my god _ !!" she cried, practically squealing over how cute they were. Where did he get them? They were so detailed and looked  _ just _ like each of them. She pulled out the little Crow plush and held it up to him. "You do realize I'm borrowing this one for the night, don't you?"

 

His face grew bright red. She wanted his? That wasn't exactly expected considering they were  _ all _ there. Everyone at BRR suspected that she had a thing for Rom, and even if he wouldn't admit it, the guys could all tell he liked her, too. He shook his head. "What do you need to borrow it for, exactly?"

 

She played with the little plush in her hands, fixing his little tie. "I'm sure it will be boring and lonely up there, so I might as well bring a little friend to keep me company, right?"

 

"Ehh... I guess that's a good point. It  _ is _ pretty lonely up there." He sighed, knowing he couldn't tell her no. It just wasn't possible for him. "Okay, but you have to take care of it."

 

"You got it!" She flashed him a wink and hugged the little toy close to her. It was so cuddly, too!

 

\---

 

Hikari finally left his room and went up the stairs to the one she would be staying in. She sat the little plush on her bed next to her pillow and left to change into her pajamas. 

 

She crawled into the nice warm bed and faced the little toy she brought up with her. What had gotten into her...? The moment she saw it she knew she had to have it. "Why'd you have to be so cute...?" she asked the plush Crow. "I could have just acted normal and told him you were nice and put you back in the box... but I had to be all embarrassing and creepy and ask to sleep with you... Wow hearing it out loud sounds worse than I thought."

 

She shook those thoughts from her head and stared at it. It looked so much like him when he was in his small Myumon form. "I guess it's not all that weird. You're just like a cuddly stuffed animal. That's all, right...?" The toy sat in silence,  _ obviously  _ not going to talk back to her.

 

"I dunno, little guy... Something feels different here. His family is so sweet. I've never known what it's like to have a caring family like that... and when he's around them, he's not as loud and crazy as he is back home. He's usually so full of himself. Not a day goes by that he isn't calling himself amazing or patting himself on the back for his latest song. But here... when we were at dinner, he was talking about  _ my _ band. What do you think that means? Anything...?" She looked over at him, not sure what kind of response she was expecting. "Goddamn it... I'm talking to a stuffed animal. What's wrong with me?"

 

She rolled over and sighed, closing her eyes. She needed to get some sleep if she was ever going to get any work done on that song. After only just a few moments of facing the opposite direction of the plush, she quickly turned back around and grabbed it, holding it close to her.

  
  



	9. Track 09

**Track 09**

 

The next morning, Hikari woke up to the bright sunlight shining in from the large window on the wall. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, looking around the room and remembering where she was.

 

She got up and changed her clothes. As she was brushing her long flowing hair, she took a deep breath, taking in the scent of a home cooked breakfast. It sure was nice to wake up to something like that.

 

The snow leopard made her way down the stairs to the dining room. There, she found both of Crow’s parents sitting down to breakfast. "Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" his mother asked her. "Sit down and have something to eat!"

 

Hikari looked down at the table. There was so much food! Eggs, pancakes, toast, bacon... and of course milk to drink! In the same spot she sat the night before for dinner, there was a glass of chocolate milk. They remembered... how sweet! She took a seat and smiled brightly. "Thank you so much!"

 

As she fixed her plate, she looked to Crow’s seat and noticed it was empty. "Is he still in bed?" she asked, finding herself a slight bit disappointed that she didn't get to see him that morning.

 

"Actually, he's been up for hours. He went outside to get some work done before breakfast and hasn't come in yet." Crow's father told her. She looked out the window and wondered how much longer he'd be.

 

"Uhh... is it okay for me to make an extra plate and take it out to him?" Hikari asked, looking to both of them.

 

His mother looked like she was about to start crying... oops. "Why of course, dear! I'm sure our little Hoglet would love that! Pancakes are his favorite, so be sure to take extra!" For some reason she seemed really excited over the fact that she made this offer.

 

She chuckled and filled two plates with pancakes and bacon, one for each of them. "Thank you. I will make sure he gets it!" 

 

She grabbed one of their baskets to put their milk bottles in and hung it on her arm as she carried the two plates outside. Where exactly was he working? It probably would have been a good question to ask...

 

Hikari made her way to the barn next to the house. It seemed like a safe bet. As she grew nearer, she could hear the sound of cows mooing on the inside. She peeked inside to see if Crow happened to be in there. Much to her surprise, she found the hedgehog wearing nothing but a pair of black jeans, shoveling hay to each of the cows. She noticed on his back was a tattoo of black angel wings. How had she not noticed it the night before...? It was kind of nice.

 

When she caught herself staring, she lost her grip on one of the plates, which shattered on the dirty ground. Whoops... that one was hers, too. How was she going to replace that?

 

The sound of the plate breaking caused Crow to jump and turn around. "Oh! Good morning, Hikari. Everything okay...?"

 

She cleared her throat and kicked the plate and syrupy mess to the side. "Umm... yep! Everything is just fine! I brought you some breakfast! Your parents thought you might be hungry."

 

"Ah, great! I didn't even realize breakfast was ready!" he said as he sat the pitch fork down. He walked over and took the plate from her, as well as his bottle of milk. "Did you get anything to eat? Ma makes the  _ best _ pancakes ever!"

 

She glanced down at the mess on the ground. She really needed to clean that up... "Uhhhh... Yeah, uh huh! They were definitely delicious!"

 

Crow followed her gaze to the pile of broken plate and pancakes on the ground. He  _ knew _ he had heard something break! What exactly did she do? ' _ Ah well _ ,' he thought. ' _ I'll get that cleaned up later. If Ma asks anything, I'll tell her I'm the one who dropped it _ ...'

 

He looked back up to Hikari, who was super embarrassed that she was found out, and flashed her a smile. Since she went through the trouble of bringing breakfast out to him, he knew how to make it up to her. "Follow me! There's a big tree on the hill that will shade us from the sun."

 

She nodded and followed behind, her poor stomach growling. She sure hoped he couldn't hear it. She didn't need any more embarrassment.

 

He lead her to the big tree he was talking about and sat down, making sure she had enough room to sit in the shade with him. He cut the stack of pancakes in half and handed her his fork. "Here... You can go first."

 

She blinked and took his fork. "Wha? What are you doing?"

 

"You need to eat, too. So I'm letting you use my fork first. I don't mind sharing!" He held the plate up to her, a warm smile on his face. 

  
  


She blushed out of embarrassment and cut a bite off for herself. When she put the bite in her mouth, he entire face lit up. “Wow... These are really good! Your mom sure knows how to cook!” She happily enjoyed her breakfast as she held the plate in her lap. Next to her, Crow watched her, feeling content being with her. He inched closer to her, slowly moving his arm behind her.

 

She turned to look at him with the fork still in her mouth after taking another bite. She pulled it out and looked back to the plate nervously. It was getting harder and harder to resist that boy. She gulped, swallowing her bite of pancake and put another piece on the fork. However, this time, instead of eating it herself, she turned and held it up to him. “I... uhh... Don’t let me hog it all to myself! You have some!”

 

His eyebrows raised out of surprise when she pointed the fork in his face. The reason he let her go first was because he figured she wouldn’t want to eat after him, and now here she was trying to share with him. She looked a little flustered. Maybe he could have fun with this, considering he could tell exactly what caused her to drop her own plate. He knew he was amazing, but to have a girl like Hikari react to him the way she had? She was nothing like the cattle that constantly fawned over him and the guys, so that had to mean something, right?

 

Rather than taking it from her, he leaned in closer to her and ate the bite off the fork while it was still in her hand. Her jaw dropped slightly, a little taken back by his action. “Uh... Th-That wasn’t what I meant... for you to...” She stared up at him for a moment, her entire face red, before looking away from him and growling. What was he trying to do to her, exactly? She was having a tough enough time with him, already, so whatever it was, she wasn’t going to let it work.

 

He chuckled and watched her eat the rest of her half, angrily. Her little temper was adorable. When she was finished, she shoved the plate to him and crossed her arms. “Aww come on, Hikari... I was only playing. I know you can take a joke.”

 

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Maybe you should warn me next time!” 

 

“Fine,” he replied with a smile. “Next time I will warn you.  _ You _ need to be more careful! You could have had your own plate.”

 

Another growl escaped her throat in response. “Yeah, whatever...”

 

He lifted the arm that was behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder, pulling her close to him with a one armed hug. “But I definitely appreciate the gesture. No one has ever brought my meal out to me while I was working. So thank you, Hikari.”

 

Finally, the frown on her face disappeared. “It was no problem. You’re the one who brought me all the way out here to get away. I felt like I owed you.”

 

“Nah, you don’t owe me anything. I could tell you needed it, and to be honest, I’m glad you came here with me.” He leaned back against the tree, his arm still around her. Inside, poor Hikari was dying. She hoped he couldn’t feel the heat coming off of her face.

 

“I need to try and get some work done on my song today. A week is a short period of time, so I can’t waste it,” she told him, trying to change the subject a little.

 

“You’re right! That  _ is _ the reason you’re here, after all,” he said with a small hint of sadness in his voice. “Why don’t we head back inside. I’ll get cleaned up and you can get started. Then if you need any help, I’d be happy to look over it.”

 

Had she said something wrong? He didn't seem to have that same cheerfulness in his voice as he had just a few moments before. But he was offering to help... She couldn't turn that down! The last time they worked on music together, it turned out great! "I'd really like that, Crow!" She flashed him a bright smile, hoping he would do the same.

 

He took his arm away from her and stood, holding his hand out to her. "Then let's go. You can use the little studio in my room." As she took his hand, he smiled back to her, giving her those same butterflies again. 

 

\---

 

Just a few hours after they went inside and Crow showered, he and Hikari sat in his mini studio looking over the sheet music Hikari had for her new song. "I know it isn't  _ bad _ , but for some reason, I just can't be happy with it. I feel like there is something missing..." She sighed. She used to write music all the time, but now that it came down to writing music for her and Kamiko’s band, it was different. It had to be perfect.

 

Crow took the pages from her and glanced over them. "I don't know what it could be. This song is great! You don't have any lyrics yet, but other than that I don't know what it could be missing."

 

Hikari shrugged. "The lyrics come later, when Kamiko and I can work on it together. Lyrics are her thing... But it's not that. It's something with the way it sounds. It's missing something."

 

He sat the pages down on his lap. "Well when I am struggling to write lyrics for our songs, I go back and play some of our current music for inspiration. I know this is your first song, so that won't exactly work... but we can play something together if you think that will help you get in that mindset. You know all our music, don't you?"

 

She nodded. That could work... It would definitely help her get in the mood. "Alright. Let's do it, then."

 

She got up from her seat and moved to the drums, while Crow grabbed Red Tomahawk. "Why don't we do Falling Roses? It's fun to play, and it usually helps." Crow turned around and flashed her a smile. "Just try to keep up, I'm sure it's a big deal for cattle to play with the amazing Crow of Shingancrimsonz," he teased, making a joke to her after all the times she had called him Hoglet.

 

She scoffed and gave him a smirk. "Just shut up and play!" Oh, she'd show him...

 

The two played the song together, Crow even singing to an imaginary mic as they played. It felt so good to play such a powerful song. When they finished, Hikari sat in silence for a moment. Crow turned back around to her, noticing how quiet she was. "What's up...?"

 

"I think I get it now... After we played, I think I figured it out," she said, not looking up from the drums. She tapped the drumstick on her leg for a moment as she processed her thoughts. "What's the one thing your band has that ours doesn't?"

 

Crow tapped his finger to his chin before answering. "My  _ amazing _ lyrics, obviously."

 

"No, no, no!! What  _ instrument _ does Shingancrimsonz have, that Monochrome Blush does not?" she asked.

 

He took a moment to think about it. Kamiko sang and played guitar, which covered both him and Aion’s playing. Hikari played drums, so that covered Rom. But then there was Yaiba. "Bass! Your band doesn't have a bass player."

 

"Exactly! And did you hear how different that song sounded without it? Maybe the thing my song is missing is bass," she told him. Because Kamiko’s family had connections with just about every music related business around, they had just about every instrument and electronic musical device there was. As they grew up, Kamiko taught herself how to use many of these, though not many of them stuck. It was possible that she could talk her into adding in the bass to their music digitally later on. It wasn't like they were going to meet anyone with a bass anytime soon.

 

"Hmm... good point. Then we should add some in and see what sounds good, and then you two can work on lyrics! And I happen to know a damn good lyricist that could help you, too," he said with a wink. 

 

Hikari playfully shoved him away and chuckled. "Yeah, yeah... I get it, Hoglet. You wanna help us write the lyrics. We'll have to see if Kamiko gets anything done over vacation, first." Surely, even with her busy schedule, Kamiko would still work on the one task Hikari gave her to do while she was gone, right? It was hard to say.

 

The two moved to sit at the piano as Hikari used it as a writing surface to add some notes in for a bass. Without having one there, it was hard for her to tell if it was going to sound right, but that was something that could be fixed when they made it that far.

 

Even though Crow didn't have the same experience as she did with writing music, he tried to help her in any way he could by giving advice and feedback as she wrote down her ideas. Occasionally, she would sing or hum the parts she had in mind, which Crow found himself highly fond of. 

 

"Alright," Hikari said as she closed her notebook. "I think that's enough for today. We got a lot of work done. I owe you big time for your help."

 

"Yeah...? I think I have something in mind." Crow tapped his fingers on the piano as he spoke, watching her carefully.

 

Unfortunately, she didn't take the hint, and looked up at him with a curious look on her face. "Oh? And what exactly would that be?"

 

He quickly flipped open the cover that was over the piano's keys. "You're going to play for me. You promised you would, so now's the time!"

 

She blinked out of confusion as her cheeks grew red. She had never played for anyone other than Kamiko's butler, who happened to be the one to teach her. "Wha-? Alright, fine! But just know that I'm no professional. I've never even played for anyone. I just use it when I'm writing music to hear the notes."

 

He shrugged. "I don't care if you're a professional or not! I just want to hear what you can do!" He clenched his fists together in front of him out of excitement. 

 

She took a deep breath and sighed, then turned the pages in her notebook to the one with the song he saw when they were on the bus. "I'll be honest with you... This song is the first one I wrote after learning the piano. I've always wanted to add to it, but never found the inspiration." She placed her fingers on the keys and paused for a moment. It had been a few years since she had played, so she wanted to be sure she wouldn't mess up. "Here it goes..."

 

She started out slowly with the song, but felt herself really get into it and sped up the tempo. As she played the piano music, she hummed a tune to herself, which was how she imagined the lyrics would go if she had any.

 

Crow’s eyes widened as she played. She  _ wasn't  _ a professional, but played that well? It wasn't just her playing that had him, however. There was the song itself. He could feel the passion in her music, which totally spoke to him. 

 

But when she started humming...

 

He never would have imagined that she had such a pretty singing voice. Being the drummer of her band, she didn't exactly sing many of their songs. To Crow, it was like hearing the voice of an angel. It was so soft and sweet...

 

When she finished playing, she closed the notebook and stared down at the keys, feeling slightly embarrassed. 

 

"Hikari... You... are amazing. And you wrote that??" Crow asked, just moments after she finished.

 

“I did... Every once in awhile, when Kamiko had things to do with her family or her boyfriend, I would lock myself up in the dance hall where the piano was and I would work on this song. To be completely honest with you, it took years to write it...” She looked over to him with a smile. “You're the first person to ever hear it, so I'm really glad you like it. I put a lot of heart into it, but even to this day, I haven't decided what the song is even supposed to be about, so I haven't put any lyrics to it. I might even like it best this way.”

 

Crow nodded. If she ever wanted to add lyrics, he would have been happy to help, but until then he made sure to respect her feelings about the song. “I'm glad you shared it with me.” He really enjoyed the fact that she was sharing something so special to her. 

 

He wasn't sure why, but without thinking, he slowly reached over and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Hikari’s eyes grew wide at the contact. The moment she noticed him leaning in to try and kiss her again, she quickly stood up and grabbed her notebook. Her face was completely flushed. “U-Uhh... Well thank you for your help today. I think I'm going to turn in early.” She fumbled around before holding the notebook close to her and tried swallowing her nerves. “...See you tomorrow?”

 

Crow’s ear twitched when he felt her stand and he opened his eyes, feeling a similar disappointment to when he tried on the bus ride. “Yeah... of course, Hikari. Enjoy the rest of your night...”

 

She gave him an embarrassed smile and left his room, closing the door behind her. She pressed her back against it and hit herself in the forehead a few times while repeating the word ‘stupid’ over and over again. Crow was being so sweet to her and she rejected him  _ again _ ... What was wrong with her? 

 

She turned around to knock on his door to apologize, but sighed. She would just see him in the morning...

  
  



	10. Track 10

**Track 10**

 

The next day, Hikari sat alone in the studio inside Crow’s bedroom making the final touches on her song. They were only a couple days into their vacation and already she was close to being finished! If it weren't for Crow's help, she probably would have never made it this far.

 

The door slowly creaked open and Crow popped his head in. "Uh... I know you're busy, Hikari, but... I just wanted to let you know that some of my childhood friends are coming over for a bonfire... You don't have to come if you don't want to, but you are totally welcome!" His ear twitched nervously as he waited for her response. He wanted her to be there. He really wanted the chance to introduce her to his friends, but didn't want to bother her, either.

 

The leopard never looked up from her notebook. "Sorry, Hoglet. I'm in the zone right now and can't afford to take a break." She hadn't even noticed the fact that he wanted her to come with him.

 

His tail drooped behind him in disappointment. "Oh, yeah... I understand. I don't write such amazing lyrics by slacking off, either, so... yeah." He sighed, but then put on a happy face for her. "I guess I will see you tonight, then! You'd better let me see how the song turns out!"

 

"Of course I will. See you when you get back!" She smiled and finally looked up to him. He was wearing a red and black plaid button up shirt and black jeans. The outfit was so nice on him... As he turned to walk away, she noticed the sad look on his face. Was that because of what she had said? She shook her head. She couldn't get distracted... Not now. 

 

\---

 

About 45 minutes later, Hikari finally sat her notebook down again and reached for her bottle of chocolate milk, only to find out that it was empty. "Aww man..." She looked over to the little Crow plush that was sitting on the top of the piano. She found she worked better with it sitting there. "Why didn't you warn me that I drank it all?" It sat silently in front of her and she remembered that it was only a toy. She hung her head and sighed. At least the song was finally finished. Maybe she could get another milk and relax in the tub or something!

 

She jumped up and grabbed the empty bottle, but something outside of the window caught her eye. It was finally dark outside and a group of Myumons sat around a fire. From what she could see there was a deer, a beaver, a bear, a porcupine, and an owl. She also saw Crow sitting hunched over in his seat. Why did he look like he was so sad? Everyone else down there seemed to be having fun together.

 

She did feel just a little bit guilty for turning him down. Maybe she  _ should _ make an appearance down there and meet his friends. She might be able to figure out what was bothering him so much.

 

She ran up to the room that she was currently staying in and unzipped her suitcase. Would it be too much if she dressed up a little? Who knew what these friends were like, and something told her she wanted to make a good impression on them and not embarrass Crow.

 

She found the one dress she packed, which came just a little above her knees. It was black with grey leopard spots and buttoned the whole way down. She put on her short black boots and inspected herself in the mirror. The outfit was cute! Her naturally wavy hair hung down her back and over her shoulders. She looked around until she found a long black ribbon, which she used to put her hair up into a ponytail, tied in a nice little bow. 

 

She peaked out the window again, seeing the little porcupine girl was now holding one of Crow's hands in both of hers. Hikari felt her stomach drop and her face turn red. Did he have a girlfriend here? How did she not know?

 

She hurried down the stairs and was just about to walk out the door when she passed by Crow’s mother, who was setting up a tray of milk and everything they would need to make s'mores. "Do you need some help?" Hikari asked, stopping to take the tray out of her hands.

 

"Thank you very much, dear. Now why aren't you out there already? Crow was so excited to bring everyone over to meet you." His mother smiled sweetly, not realizing how that one comment would make her feel. Did he really organize this to introduce her to his friends? "You look so nice this evening! I'm so happy our little Hoglet has met such a pretty little lady in the city. You two are just so adorable together!" 

 

Hikari blushed and averted her eyes. "U-Uh, thank you, but we aren't dating or anything, ma'am. He's just a really good friend." She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "I can take the snacks out to everyone. I was just on my way out there."

 

His mother watched as she walked out the door, chuckling to herself. She saw the way those two looked at each other. Even if they didn't realize it, it was clear to her that they both had some sort of feelings for each other.

 

\---

 

Outside, Crow sat with his chin resting on one hand, while his friend, Finn, held his other hand. "Oh come on, now, Crow. Don't look so down. City girls live such busy lives. It only makes sense that she wouldn't have the time to come out 'n meet us." The porcupine scooted closer to him, admiring him. She wasn't all that mad that Hikari wasn't coming out. 

 

Bear, the larger bear Myumon that sat across from him crossed his arms and laughed. "How do we even know this girl is real? Crow could be making this all up. Since when have we known our boy to be such a ladies man?"

 

Crow stood up, pulling his hand away from Finn, and clenched his fist. "She  _ is  _ real, and it's nothing like that! We just work together! She's here to have some time to herself to work on her music. I left her alone so she could finish working." 

 

Elle, the little deer, giggled to herself. “Gosh, Crow. You seem more fired up than usual. And your face is all red and such. I’d say our little hedgie definitely likes this city girl.” Finn crossed her arms, feeling just a little jealous. Her friends all knew how she felt about him, so why would they keep pressing the subject of the city girl. He said it was nothing, so that had to be true right? 

 

The next to speak was the owl Myumon named Huck. “I-I dunno, you guys. Maybe she’s just really scary. Girls can be really intimidating, ya know...” The anxious little owl blinked and looked around, hoping the city girl wasn’t around to hear that, while his friends Finn and Elle gave him a look. They weren’t  _ that _ intimidating.

 

Finally, Tom, the beaver Myumon and Crow’s closest friend in the group stood up. “Hey, ya’ll need to give Crow a break. If he says there isn’t anything going on with this girl, then we gotta believe ‘em.” He pat his friend on the back before sitting back down. “So you say she’s in a band like you?”

 

Crow relaxed a little and sat down as well, giving Tom a smile. “Yeah... It’s funny. Her band got their start by playing our songs because they were just big fans. Now they are signed to our record label. The girls don’t have any music of their own, so that’s what Hikari is working on now. She writes the music for their group and even though she gets embarrassed to show anyone, she’s really good.”

 

Hikari walked closer to the fire, seeing that Crow’s back was to her. This could be perfect! Maybe she could surprise him. Once she was finally in sight, the three boys in Crow’s group of friends all stared in shock. Not only was this girl real, but she was really pretty, too! “W-Why hello there, Miss...” Tom said, trying to be polite.

 

“No way!” Bear said, next. “She really is real! And she’s way cuter than ya told us, Crow!” To this, Hikari tilted her head in confusion. Did they think Crow made her up or something? The last part of the bear’s statement made her blush. So far so good, then. They seemed to like her.

 

“C-Crow... you never told us she was a leopard...” Huck said, shaking nervously. “Dang, city girls really are scary!”

 

Crow chuckled. “Nah, Hikari’s cool. She’s only scary when she wants to be,” he teased before turning around. Once he did, his eyes widened. She wasn’t wearing the same dress she normally had on. Instead, she had on a black dress that fit her just right, and her hair was pulled back and away from her face, which in the light of the fire, he could tell had a little more makeup than usual. She looked so... beautiful. The little hoglet was at a complete loss for words.

 

Finn stood up in front of all of the boys. How dare they look at her like that... “Hey, ya’ll need to calm down! Ya act like you ain’t never seen a girl before!” 

 

Seeing the way Crow was looking at her, along with all the stares and comments from his friends, Hikari’s face turned bright red. “Umm... Sorry to keep everyone waiting. I did bring snacks, though!” She held the tray up with an embarrassed smile on her face. The girl that was yelling was the one who was holding his hand earlier, wasn’t it?

 

Crow cleared his throat and stood up to help her with the tray then grabbed her by the arm, leading her to sit on the log that he  _ was _ sharing with Finn until she got up. He motioned for her to sit right in her seat. He sat next to her just as Finn turned around. The girl’s jaw dropped when she saw that she was sitting in  _ her _ seat, next to  _ her _ friend Crow... Before she could say anything, Elle pulled her down to sit on the log she was sitting on by herself, not wanting her to ruin whatever might have been going on with Crow and the city girl. She knew how jealous Finn could get when it came to Crow. Everyone in the group knew. But they also knew that he didn’t share the same feelings for her.

 

Elle looked to Hikari with a soft smile. "My name is Elle. My family owns the farm across the road. Crow and I grew up together since our families are pretty close and have worked together for years."

 

Finn crossed her arms. "Hmph... I'm Finn... I've known Crow since we were kids. We took all our music classes together. My parents own the only music shop in town." She looked over to Hikari with a bit of a glare. Hikari’s ear twitched in response. Why did this girl not seem very happy that she was around? 

 

Before Finn could continue, Elle pulled her away. "Boys, aren't you going to introduce yourselves, too?"

 

"My name's Bear, my family owns the grocery store in town. Both Crow and Elle's families supply to us, so I met them that way." He raised his thumb to point to himself as he told Hikari who he was.

 

“U-Uh... I’m Huck. I... umm... My family doesn’t do anything too special. But I tutored Crow in school and sometimes his friends would come. S-So now they are my friends too, I guess,” the little owl said in a quiet voice. 

 

Tom stood and sat on the other end of the log next to Hikari and threw an arm around her, just to mess with Crow. “An’ my name’s Tom. Crow and me have been friends almost our whole lives. Back when we were kids, I saved this guy from drownin’ in the river by my house. He thought he was so cool and was dancing around on a big rock, pretending like he was playing a guitar for Bear and Elle and fell off. The dummy didn’t even know how to swim. And if we are talking about family, my father is the mayor in town.”

 

Hikari chuckled and elbowed Crow, somehow completely unsurprised by the story. He was such a show off. “Well... I’m not sure what he has said about me, but I’m Hikari. I live in Midi City just like Crow, and I’m in a band that is under the same label as him.”

 

“Yeah, cool... And what does  _ your _ family do?” Finn asked, sounding just a tad bit spiteful.

 

Crow waved his hands in front of him, trying to stop her from going there. He didn’t even think about warning them about bringing that up. Hikari finally broke away from Tom, who still had his arm around her and pushed Crow’s hands down. “It’s okay, Crow. Since everyone was kind enough to tell me about their families, I don’t mind sharing.” She turned to look at the porcupine girl, a serious look on her face. “If you are talking about the people I actually consider family, I'm sure you've heard quite a bit about them from Crow, here." The little hedgehog looked over to her with a surprised look on his face. What did she mean? "In the few short months that I have been in the city, my best friend Kamiko and I have grown very close to Crow and the rest of Shingancrimsonz. If anyone is like family to me, it's her and those boys. My  _ real  _ family, however, is out somewhere chasing their dreams. Unfortunately, I wasn't a part of that dream, so they left me behind as a baby and Kamiko’s parents adopted me."

 

Everyone in Crow’s little group of friends stared at the leopard in shock. They hadn't expected such a story from her. After hearing what Hikari said, Elle took Finn's hand and stood, pulling her up with her. "Excuse us for just a moment, please."

 

The two girls walked away from the group and Elle put her hands on both of Finn's shoulders. "Alright, darlin'. I know you still have feelin's for that boy, but we all know it ain't happenin'."

 

Finn rolled her eyes, but sighed. "...I know. He really has changed, hasn't he?" She turned to face the group, where it looked like Crow was telling Hikari some story about the group when they were younger. He seemed much happier than she had ever seen him before. It was really nice...

 

Elle looked to her friend with a sad smile. "Maybe he has, but he's still the same farmer boy hedgie we all know 'n love. It's just that now he's a rockstar. There are new people in his life 'n we need to respect that."

 

"Do you think there's something special about this girl? It's been years since I've seen him in such a good mood. The last time was when he came home to tell all of us that he got that big record deal." Even though Finn felt like she should be disappointed, she wanted to be happy for him.

 

Elle shrugged. "It's hard to say..." She turned to her and smiled, glad she was starting to see what the rest of the group was seeing. "But there's only one way to find out! Let's get back over there and start over."

 

Finn smiled back and gave her a nod. "...Okay. Let's go."

 

The two girls walked back to the bonfire. Finn picked up the tray of snacks handing everyone sticks to roast their marshmallows with. She listened to Crow’s story about the first time he performed at their town fair. She chuckled as she made it to Hikari and kindly handed her the last stick.

 

"Our boy here was so small that he could barely hold up the guitar he was going to try 'n play. He had one that was more his size... but he refused to play it. Instead, he wanted to play his lucky guitar, which happ'ned to be given to him by Grateful King himself!" she told her, trying to finally be friendly. Hikari chuckled. The story didn't surprise her. Crow was obsessed with Grateful King. 

 

Elle spoke up next. "Crow grew pretty popular at that talent show. Everyone thought he was just the cutest thing. He was this tiny little hedgie with a big ol' guitar."

 

Crow's face was getting red. His awesome story about how he won his first talent show at such a young age turned into an embarrassing one... "Okay, okay... We all know I was cute, sure. But it was the way I played that guitar that made that whole crowd become my cattle!" he said confidently.

 

Tom laughed and smacked Crow on the back. "More of that cattle talk, huh? This boy used to get so nervous before a show. Since he used to practice in front of his cows all the time, so I told him to pretend the crowd was them cattle."

 

Hikari smiled and elbowed him gently. "I always wondered where that came from. That's what he calls his fans now, too."

 

Everyone laughed and Hikari looked over to Crow, still smiling, but noticed he seemed a little embarrassed. Gently, she placed her hand on top of his, which caused him to jolt out of shock. He felt himself blush, which only embarrassed him more... but he was okay with her actions. 

 

"You know... If it wasn't for Crow, there's no way I'd be where I am today. His music... helped my best friend and I get noticed, since we started covering it. And even now he's helped me write music. He's been really great," Hikari told the group. Hearing her say such nice things about him surprised the hedgehog. Her compliments were much nicer than if she were just a random fan saying such things.

 

Elle smiled, seeing the way the two seemed to think so much of each other. They had already heard the things Crow had to say about Hikari, but now hearing her stories, she could just tell they were pretty close.

 

Tom elbowed Hikari gently. “So why haven't you played anything for us yet?”

 

Her eyes widened and she rubbed her arm out of embarrassment. “Uhh... I mean... I play drums, so it would be a little hard to get a whole set out here, don't you think...?”

 

Crow nodded, but picked up the acoustic guitar that he brought out to each of their bonfires. “She's right... but don't worry, I didn't forget to bring entertainment!” He said with a wink. “You guys will just have to wait and see when Hikari is a big star!”

 

A star...?  _ Her _ ? She could only hope...

 

Crow started to play their new song that Hikari had helped him with just a few weeks before their trip. The title of the song was ‘Last Flower.’ She watched him carefully, listening as he improvised an acoustic version of the song. She then decided to pat a beat on her legs with her hands. She might not have her drums, but that didn't mean she couldn't play along.

 

Without warning, she decided to even sing along with him, making the song a bit of a duet. This caught Crow a little off guard. When Hikari noticed him slip up, she glanced to him out of the corner of her eye with a bit of a smirk on her face and kept singing. 

 

When they were finished, all of Crow's friends cheered and couldn't stop talking about how great the two sounded together, but all the hedgehog could think about was just how wonderful her singing was... In the middle of his friends chatting back and forth about the ‘performance’ they just gave, he pulled her to the side and whispered to her, a huge smile on his face.

 

“You have an amazing singing voice, Hikari. How come we haven't heard you sing before? _ ”  _ Crow asked her.

 

“Singing has always been Kamiko’s dream. I couldn't take that away from her,” she told him, staring down at the ground. In a way, she felt embarrassed, but the reaction she got made her feel pretty good about herself, especially when she saw the look on Crow's face the moment she began.

 

“Well I think you should try it sometime. The cattle could really love you! _ ”  _ He smiled brightly at her, doing his very best to encourage her. How could she keep yet another talent hidden?

 

“It's not that great, Hoglet. Don't get too excited _. _ ” She flashed him a smirk, trying to hide the fact that his compliments were making her blush.

 

He took her hands in his own and gave them a reassuring squeeze. “Not that great...? Whatever you say... You’ll see how wrong you are one day--”

 

Suddenly, they were interrupted by Tom. “Hey you two, lovebirds! We’re all still here, y’know!”

 

They quickly backed away from each other, their faces a crimson color. Hikari let out an embarrassed laugh. 

 

Huck piped up, taking the attention off of the two. “U-Uh... I hate to interrupt, but I need to be getting back home.”

 

Elle nodded. “He's right... It  _ is _ startin’ to get a little late... But it was great meetin’ you!”

 

Bear stood up and gave Hikari a big... well bear hug. “We had fun, fer sure. You'd better come back to see us again, okay, Hickory?” he said, completely mispronouncing her name.

 

She chuckled, feeling happy that she was so accepted by his friends. “I'd love to visit again!”

 

Tom nudged Hikari as soon as Bear let her go. “Just try not to be too rough on our boy, if you know what I--”

 

Before he could finish what he was about to say, Finn pulled him away from Hikari. “Ugh... ignore him. But seriously, thanks for comin’ down to meet us. I know it meant a lot to Crow,” she whispered to her. “You're pretty cool, Hikari, and he definitely likes you a lot, so just keep that in mind.”

 

Hikari blushed and looked over to Crow, who was talking with his friends before they had to leave. “I will... Thank you.” She gave Finn a smile as she walked away to thank Crow for inviting them over.


	11. Track 11

**Track 11**

 

Once Crow’s friends each left to go home, Hikari sat poking at the fire with the stick she used to roast her marshmallows. The fire was slowly dying, but it was still lit enough to keep her warm. After telling everyone goodbye, Crow walked back over to her with a big smile on his face. That was the most fun he had had with them in a long time. And it was all thanks to Hikari.

 

She looked over to him just as he sat on the ground next to her. "Thank you for coming out here tonight. Everyone really liked having you here and told me to invite you the next time we all get together."

 

Hikari smiled and looked back into the fire. It was a nice feeling. "I’d really like that. They were all pretty great. You know... You're very lucky, Hoglet..." She poked at the fire some more before putting the stick down on the ground and hugging her legs close to her. It was a little colder out than it had been before.

 

"Lucky?" He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?" He definitely felt lucky to have her there with him, but he knew there was no way that's what she meant.

 

"Living here... It's so nice. You're surrounded by so many great people who obviously love you very much. I've never known what that was like. Kamiko is the only friend I have ever had." She kept her gaze on the fire as she spoke.

 

He tilted his head and reached forward to grab her hand. It was so soft and warm... "Oh come on. You can't forget all of us at BRR. We all care about you, too."

 

She looked away from the fire to him. His face was only half lit by the fire, but she could see the caring look in his eyes. He was being so sweet to her. "I-I know. It's just... It's different, you know? Just seeing how close all of you are and hearing all of the stories. And seeing how wonderful your parents are... Kamiko’s parents were barely around, so most of the time it was just the two of us and the butler. And even then there were times that she wasn’t around because she was with her boyfriend who she eventually became engaged to, or the times they had certain dinners that the butler and I weren’t allowed to be apart of since we weren’t actually family. Every once in awhile he kept me company, but I also spent so much time alone..." She sighed and looked down at the hand he was holding, feeling very much comforted by his touch. "I guess I just envy you a little. I would never want to take back any of the time I spent with Kamiko, but if I could have done it while living this sort of lifestyle... Things could have been so much better."

 

He reached with his other hand to lift her chin to look at him again. "Hikari... You have no reason to envy me. So maybe things didn't work out the way you wanted them before, but that doesn't mean they can't now. No matter what happens you will always be welcome to come back here if you want. My parents seriously adore you, my friends think you're about as amazing as I am. And I... I  _ do _ feel lucky just like you said." He blushed a little, which was a little harder to notice in this lighting. "I'm lucky that I had the chance to spend this time here alone with you."

 

Hikari didn't know what to say. Every word he spoke to her made her feel so warm inside. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

 

Crow’s heart was racing. He had already said more than he had originally planned. Thankfully, she wasn't freaking out or anything like he had been worried about. ' _ Okay _ ...' he thought to himself. ' _ You made it this far... Don't give up now _ .'

 

He gripped her hand just a little tighter out of nerves and with his hand still on her chin, he leaned in,  _ finally _ planting a kiss on her soft lips. After all this time having the feelings he did for her, and the many attempts earlier in their trip, he was finally able to kiss her. Hikari froze where she sat, completely unsure of how to handle herself in that situation. All she knew was that she felt dizzy and like her heart might explode from her chest. Her eyes filled with tears as she closed them and leaned in to him.

 

Crow eventually pulled back with a grin on his face. That was really nice. "You have people who care about you, too, Hikari. I'm not going anywhere, so don't forget that."

 

The poor leopard had so many emotions flowing through her at one time. "Hogl--" She stopped herself. "C-Crow... Thank you so much. No one has ever gone to such lengths to make me feel better before.” This might have been one of the only times she had ever talked to him where he wasn’t practically praising himself. Sure, it came out a few times while his friends were around, but this time the only one he was talking about was her.

 

He moved his hand from her chin to her cheek and gently rubbed it with his thumb. As he did this, he noticed her cheek was wet. She was crying... Chills shot through Hikari’s body and she thought she might pass out. “You don’t need to thank me. I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to be alone again. I promise to make sure that never happens, no matter what.”

 

She bit her bottom lip, the way his felt on hers still fresh in her mind. She definitely wanted more, but wasn’t sure how to tell him without making things awkward. By this point, the fire had just about died and it was starting to get chilly out. Crow hated the feeling of being cold... In the silence, he stood up and held out a hand to her to help her up. “Why don’t we head back now?”

 

She hesitantly reached for his hand and stood, feeling her cheeks burning. She was so quiet now... Crow hoped he hadn’t said or even done something wrong to make this happen. As they walked, he watched her from the corner of his eye. She stared at the ground as she walked, still not sure what to say to him. Just to see how she would respond, he let his hand brush against hers while he walked next to her. Her warm skin felt so welcoming and he thought it would be nice to hold.

 

Hikari’s eyes went wide and in her nervous panic she quickly held her hands behind her back rather than letting them hang at her sides. She mentally cursed herself. She really didn’t feel like herself that night.

 

Crow sighed quietly and decided it was best to leave her be. He put his hands on his hips and kept his distance until they made it back to the house. By this time, his parents were both already in bed. After they made it upstairs, he stopped outside the door of his room. Hikari started toward the room she was staying in when she heard his voice. “Thanks again for coming out. It really meant a lot.” With that, he opened his door and closed it behind him once he was inside.

 

Hikari leaned against the door of her room and sighed. She felt like such an idiot... She could have been a little more expressive of how she felt like he was... but she didn't know how. She turned around and opened the door to the room and went inside to change into her pajamas. The nightgown she wore was a dark pink with leopard spots all over it, and a trim of lace on the bottom and the sleeves. It always felt nice to change into them after a long day.

 

When she got into bed, she realized that the Crow plush she had been sleeping with was missing... She left him sitting on the piano in Crow’s room!

 

The moment Crow entered his room, he unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing and tossed it on the ground. Did he maybe go too far? He hated the thought of making her uncomfortable. The kiss was so nice, though... If only he could do it again.

 

His pants came off next and he was left wearing only boxers. They had little milk bottles all over them. They were kind of embarrassing, but he still liked them. 

 

As he turned around to flip his light off, there was a knock at the door. His heart skipped a beat when he realized it had to be her... His parents would just let themselves in. He opened the door slowly to see Hikari in her short little nightgown standing in front of him with her arms crossed. He felt his face grow hot at the sight. "U-Uh... is everything okay, Hikari?"

 

She hadn't expected to see Crow wearing only his boxers when the door opened. She quickly averted her eyes and cleared her throat. "Yeah... everything is fine. I-I just forgot something in here when I was working on my music."

 

"Hm?" He forgot he left her in there when he first went outside with his friends. "Come on in. What was it?"

 

She followed him inside the room and closed the door behind her. Even if they weren't talking very loud, she didn't want to wake his parents. She fiddled with her hands in response to his question. This was embarrassing... "Uhh... well... Your plush. I brought him in here for... i-inspiration. And now I..." She looked down at her feet. "Hah... I'm probably going to sound pretty ridiculous..."

 

He looked over to see the little plush of himself sitting on the piano. She... had it there for inspiration? Really?? He turned back to her with a curious expression on his face. "Now you what? What's going to sound ridiculous?"

 

She rocked back and forth on her feet. How could she say what she needed to without making it weird. "Well... I can't... sleep. I got so used to having him with me."

 

He picked up the plush and looked at it in his hands. "You really like it that much?" Of course, it  _ was _ a plush of  _ him _ , so did he blame her? Not at all.

 

She took a step closer to him, admiring the look on his face as he stared down at the plush. "I do... I feel very calm when I have it with me. When I sleep, it relaxes me... When I write music, it helps me keep focused." 

 

He smiled, thinking about how sweet it was that a little toy that looked like him made her feel so peaceful. He held it out for her to take, and she hugged it close to her. He then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Hey... I'm sorry about earlier."

 

She looked up to him, feeling just a little guilty. "Why are you sorry?"

 

He rubbed the back of his neck out of embarrassment. "I shouldn't have kissed you without seeing if you were okay with it first. It was pretty selfish of--"

 

She reached forward and placed her finger on his lips and shook her head. "Don't you dare apologize. I'm glad you did it. There's no way I would have had the courage to do it  _ myself _ ."

 

He blinked, blushing when she touched his mouth. So she  _ did _ like it? He took her hand away from his face, her words giving him a major confidence boost. After feeling like he had done the wrong thing, this changed things. He held her hand in his and gave her a cocky grin. "So tell me... I was good, right?"

 

Hikari's cheeks were bright red at his question. With the hand he wasn't holding, she gripped the plush close to her, getting a little clever. "Good? That's a tough one. I'm not so sure I remember that much~" She looked up to him with a smile on her face, really hoping he would take the hint.

 

_ She couldn't remember _ ? How could she forget something like that!? If anything, he knew he had to be an amazing kisser. "Hmph..." Suddenly, he pulled her close to him and dipped her, kissing her just a little harder this time. This time there was just a little more feeling behind it.

 

Hikari, making more of an attempt this time to return the kiss, let the plush drop to the floor as she ran her hands up his arms. One of her hands stopped at the top of his back, while the other continued up for her to tangle her fingers in his hair.

 

She stumbled backward until she was sitting on the edge of his bed. Her heart raced as he leaned in further to her, persuading her to lean back. This was the farthest she had ever made it with any boy. She did exactly as he wanted, not at all letting up on the kiss. 

 

But Crow didn't plan to take it any further than that. He gently placed both of his hands to her cheeks as he pulled away, then moved them to the bed, where he held himself up over her. "Now... I'll ask you again. I was good, right?"

 

Hikari's face was now a burning crimson. She found it hard to look back up at those piercing red eyes of his. "N-No... You were  _ amazing _ , Hoglet." She finally used the nickname again, but this time it sounded more affectionate than teasing.

 

He smiled down at her with a look of accomplishment on his face. "Now that's more like it." They stayed in this position just staring at each other for a few moments, both admiring the other. There was no way Hikari wanted to leave and go back to that cold empty room she was staying in.

 

Crow moved off of her and grabbed the plush from the floor. She sat up with her legs folded under her as he came back to sit down on the bed next to her. "So why do you need this handsome little guy again?" He handed it back to her, knowing that was the real reason she came in to see him and that she would most likely be ready to head back.

 

"I just... It's nice to have something to hold while I sleep. There's just something about him that keeps me calm." She looked up to Crow, who was watching her carefully. It was also true that he, himself, helped her relax. She had hardly felt any stress the whole time they had been on the farm. What was it about him that was so good at that?

 

"I see..." He leaned back onto his big fluffy pillow and held out his hand. "Let me see it..."

 

' _ Damn it _ ...' Hikari thought to herself as he stretched himself out on the bed. If there was one talent Crow had besides his musical talents... it was being sexy without even trying. The fact that he was wearing nothing but his boxers... which were cute with the little milk bottles on them... and laying in front of her with his hand out... Was she dying? She was pretty sure of it.

 

"Hikari...? Are you listening? Let me see the plush," he said, waving his hand at her. He could see the looks she was giving him and grinned. Was it possible that she couldn't handle him? 

 

With her cheeks burning from embarrassment, Hikari put the toy in his hand and watched as he pulled it to him and cuddled it right in front of her. "Oh, you're right. This  _ is _ nice! I might have to hang on to him for the night," he teased.

 

"Wha!? That's not fair at all..." She looked over to him with a pout. "I told you he helps me sleep. Why would you do such a thing?"

 

"It does belong to me, remember? I guess you're just going to have a long night now, aren't you?" He smirked to himself as he rolled over and let the plush cover his mouth to hide it. She was so cute when she got all pouty like this. He had never seen it until she finally opened up to him, but he would do anything to see that look on her face again.

 

"I'm not leaving until you give that back,  _ Hoglet _ !" She smacked the bed and shot him a bit of a glare. What kind of game was he playing? There was no way she could let him win!

 

He shrugged, closing his eyes like he was about to go to sleep. "Then since I don't plan on giving him up, it looks like you're going to be in here all night. Try not to be too loud. I need my beauty sleep."

 

Hikari scoffed and stared down at him with an eyebrow raised. Her ear twitched at his words. She had had enough! "Fine!" She stormed over to the wall and turned off his light before angrily letting herself into his bed under his covers.

 

Crow opened one eye to see the angry leopard laying next to him, her eyes closed. His little game went a bit farther than he had originally planned. Now she was in his bed with him. He could feel his face heat up as he opened his mouth to speak. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

 

She opened her eyes, still pouting, which made his heart feel like it might burst. "At first I was... and then I got in this bed. How dare you keep this comfiness from me and make me sleep in that other one. Your blankets are so soft and warm." She curled up in his covers and let out a happy sigh. "Good luck getting rid of me now. Your fault."

 

He couldn't help but smile. She really was adorable... "Don't worry about that. I wouldn't want to try to get rid of you." He didn't have a problem with her sleeping there. Not one bit. He nestled his face into his pillow and closed his eyes, the plush still in his arm. "Good night... Sleep well, okay? I'm right here if you need anything."

 

She smiled, just loving how cute he looked with the plush. Giving it up to him for the night was definitely worth it. "Night, Hoglet." She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	12. Track 12

**Track 11**

 

A few short hours later, she woke up again, remembering exactly where she was. She sat up and looked at him. He was now on his back and the plush had fallen on the floor. He wasn't under the covers anymore, either. She looked in front of her to see that they were all on her side... Had she hogged all the blankets from him? 

 

She crawled over to him with the blanket and covered him. The room had definitely grown colder since they came in, so she felt a little bad. He looked so cold. Gently, she placed a hand on his. It felt like ice! The poor little hoglet...

 

She stared at him for a moment, thinking over what she was about to do. She gulped back any nervous feelings she had and crawled over him just a bit before resting her head on him and pulling the covers over both of him. His body was definitely a little chilled, which made her feel guilty. She would make him feel better, though. She was determined. 

 

She tucked the covers under him and let her body rest against his. Feeling a sudden warmth, Crow jolted awake and looked down to see Hikari cuddling up to him. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. He wasn't sure why he felt so cold, and he didn't like it. Being cold was the worst feeling in the world, but she felt so warm. It was so nice...

 

Hikari felt his cold hands on her body and jumped a little before realizing it must have been him holding her in his sleep out of instinct. "It's okay, Hoglet..." she whispered, which caught his attention. "You'll warm up soon. I'm so sorry... I just hope this doesn't bother you." She closed her eyes and tried to sleep again.

 

He smiled and hugged her tighter before burying his face into her hair. It was so soft and had a sweet smell to it. He watched her carefully as she drifted off to sleep again, realizing more and more how perfect he found her to be. In the small amount of moonlight that was shining through the window, he thought she looked like a beautiful little angel in his arms. He gently kissed the top of her head and went back to sleep.

 

\---

 

Morning unfortunately came and Hikari was the first to wake. She felt so perfectly rested. She looked to Crow, who seemed to be sleeping with a smile on his face. He was so cute... 

 

The moment she moved, she felt him stir beneath her and slowly he opened his eyes to see her watching him. "Good morning, Hoglet... How did you sleep?" she asked.

 

He rubbed his eye and yawned. "I slept really well, actually. I had a sweet surprise when I woke up last night."

 

Hikari giggled a little. "You looked like you were cold. I kinda stole the blankets, so I figured I owed you."

 

He gently pet her hair and smiled down at her. "I'm glad you did." He sat up and pulled her with him, ready to kiss her again when his phone went off. "Hm?"

 

He sat up, picking the phone up off his nightstand and checking his messages. "Oh. It's from Kamiko. It's a group message that she must have sent to all of us. It looks like she and Aion just met up," he told her before turning the phone around to show her the picture Kamiko sent of the two of them.

 

Hikari took his phone and inspected the picture. At least it looked like Kamiko was having a good time on vacation. She hadn't talked to her at all since she left... which reminded her! "Oh my god... I turned my phone off right before I left. I completely forgot!"

 

She jumped out of his bed and ran over to the piano, where her little travel bag sat. Inside were her drumsticks, her notebook, a few little snacks, and finally, her cell phone. She got back on the bed and laid next to him as she powered the phone back on. 27 missed calls, 15 voicemails, and 36 text messages... all from Kamiko. "Damn... that's a lot of notifications," Crow said.

 

Hikari put her hand on her forehead, staring at the device in disbelief. How could she have forgotten to turn it back on? Was she having that much fun with Crow that it just never crossed her mind? "We haven't been apart this long in years... She's probably worried to death." She turned to look at him with an apologetic look in her eyes. She hated to ruin their nice morning with something like this, but she had to try to let Kamiko know she was okay. "I need to call her. I promise I won't be long."

 

He smiled and pet her hair. "I understand. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

 

She smiled back and kissed his cheek before relaxing into him. He held her close to him and played with her hair while he waited. She dialed Kamiko’s number. The phone only rang once before the lioness frantically answered the phone. "Hikari!? Please tell me that's you! Are you okay? You're safe right?"

 

The sound of Kamiko’s voice brought a smile to her face. "Yes, I'm very much okay, Kamiko. I'm really sorry... I forgot that I had turned my phone off when I left. I've been really busy this week."

 

Kamiko practically instantly broke into tears when Hikari started speaking. "Oh thank goodness... I've been so worried about you Hiki... You were so mad when you left... I just wasn't sure if you were going to speak to me again..." Hikari heard her sniffle on the other line. "Why have you been so busy, though?"

 

"Kamiko, don't think like that... I am the last person you should ever worry about leaving you. You know me better than that." She had an instant feeling of guilt the moment she realized she was crying. She felt like such a terrible, selfish person. "Well... I got our song finished. I just finished it yesterday." 

 

"You did?? That's great! I can't wait to hear it!" After a pause she realized there was something she hadn't told her yet. "Wait... Where exactly did you go?"

 

Crap... Hikari didn't think the conversation would make it to that... "Uhh... Well I met up with someone and we're staying at--"

 

"You met up with someone? Who is it? It's a boy isn't it!?" Kamiko immediately got excited at the thought. Was Hikari finally opening up to some boy?

 

"W-Well... Yeeaaah." Hikari braced herself for whatever comments Kamiko had next. The first thing she heard was her squealing on the other line.

 

"OHMYGAWD!!! Who is it!? Do I know him? You have to tell me!!!" Suddenly she gasped really loud. "No way! I know!! It's Rom isn't it? You ran away with Rommie!!" Kamiko giggled to herself as she thought about everything.

 

Crow, who could hear the entire conversation where Hikari was laying on him, stopped touching her hair and tensed up at the mention of Rom's name. Everyone at BRR always predicted that if anyone would end up hooking up, it would be Hikari and Rom. There was just some sort of chemistry the two had when they were together that just made them fit. He hadn't even thought about what could possibly happen when they left the farm and went back...  _ Did _ she like Rom that way? Was there something Kamiko knew that she was hinting at...?

 

Hikari noticed Crow’s reaction to the question and snuggled against him to comfort him. Kamiko was one of those people who wanted her and Rom together, even though she told her many times that it wasn't happening. "No Kamiko. I have no reason to be anywhere with Rom right now. Just... don't worry about who it is. We will talk more when I get back to BRR, okay?"

 

Her response to Kamiko’s question reassured him that there was nothing to worry about, which made him very happy. She really could be his. They weren't a couple yet or anything, but at least he had a chance to make it happen.

 

Kamiko huffed a disappointed sigh. "Fine... You're not off the hook, but we will talk about this later."

 

Hikari chuckled. "Alright, I promise." She hung up the phone and rolled over so she could face him. "I'm sorry about that. She gets a little too excited and jumps to conclusions sometimes." She placed her hand on his chest and put her head back down. She felt so at peace laying there with him.

 

He quit playing in her hair and wrapped his arm around her. "Thank you for that..." he told her, then chuckled lightly to himself. "I never thought I'd get to this point with you. I'm so lucky..."

 

She looked up at him again from where she was laying. "You keep telling me how lucky you are that I'm here... I'm not... really anyone that important. I'm just Hikari, drummer of Monochrome Blush..." she said with a shrug. 

 

Not important? "What are you talking about?" he asked, sounding like  _ he _ was offended by her saying that.

 

"I'm really not all that special. I'm not the kind of person that people get excited over. I’m the kind who gets left behind or forgotten. I mean, if you were here with Kamiko, then I'd understand you feeling that way. She comes from a famous family and has already been in a successful band as a kid. She's really cute and everyone likes her, and--"

 

Crow flipped her over so that she was on her back and he held himself up over her. "Hikari... Don't talk like that." He gazed down at her with a serious look on his face. One that sent chills down her spine. “You  _ are _ important. You are extremely talented when it comes to writing music and playing the drums or piano. You’re passionate, you’re kind, you’re strong...” 

 

He lifted his hand to brush her hair out of her face, which made her shiver. “You’re beautiful, sweet... perfect.” He lowered his body to bring his face closer to hers and gently kissed her once on the lips. “You may feel like you aren’t special, but you’re wrong. When you’re around, I feel like I’m in the presence of an angel...”

 

Hikari’s eyes filled with tears as he spoke to her. How could he feel so strongly about her? No one had ever said such nice things about her. She was absolutely speechless.

 

“ _ That _ is why I feel so lucky to have you here with me. It wouldn’t have been the same with anyone else.” He smiled down at her using the same hand as before to wipe her eyes. There were so many things about Crow that were much different when they were alone compared to when he was with his friends or bandmates. 

 

Still unsure of what to say, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down onto her to hug him tightly. How was it possible for him to be so perfect? Just hearing the things he had to say made her feel a lot better about herself. It seemed to be so easy for him to make every last one of her worries fade away.

 

“Crow... You’re too sweet. I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say. I’m not used to getting complimented like this,” she said in a muffled voice into their hug. It was a nice feeling, to actually be wanted by someone.

 

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “There’s nothing you need to say.” He then sat up and took her hand to pull her to sit up with him. “We should probably get up before my parents come to drag us out of bed. They are early risers, so the fact that we slept in so late is probably going to drive them crazy!”

 

“Oh!” She pulled the covers off of her and was quickly reminded that she was only wearing her short silk nightgown. She looked around the room and realized that all of her clothes were in the other room. She actually came to his room dressed like this. Oh god... what would his parents think if she left his room like this? She pulled the covers back over herself to cover her body. “U-Uhh... Crow? I’m not exactly dressed,” she said with an embarrassed laugh.

 

After slipping on his own clothes, he turned around to look at the flustered female. He had completely forgotten. “Ohh... Wait right here!” He hurried toward the door and peeked out in the hallway. It seemed like his parents were both downstairs. He waved for her to come to him and whispered for her to go ahead. He planned to go down and see them while she got ready. 

 

She thanked him and quickly rushed off to the room she was staying in to find something to wear. She threw on a long t-shirt with leopard print and lace at the bottom, with a pair of black leggings and sat down on the bed. This was the first time she had really been alone since the events that had happened the night before. What exactly had gotten into her? This wasn’t like her at all. She was never really one to fall so quickly for a guy that before this trip, she really didn’t know  _ that _ well. But now here she was... She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

 

She really wanted to call Kamiko back and tell her all about it, but how exactly would she react? Kamiko was constantly getting on her case about Rom. She definitely looked up to the guy, but it wasn’t like anything was going to happen with him. But Crow... He was definitely something else. Hikari had always had trust issues, but she felt so comfortable opening up to him about everything. 

 

\---

 

Down in the living room, Crow and his mother sat, talking. “Sorry for not being up early enough to help with the cattle, Ma. Everyone stayed over pretty late last night, so we were pretty tired.”

 

“I know,” she told him with a small smile on her face. “I heard you two come in last night. I also recall hearing Miss Hikari leaving her room last night and never coming back.”

 

Crow blinked with a bit of a shocked look on his face. “Wh-What? She wasn’t in her room last night? How crazy... I know she’s in there right no--”

 

His mother interrupted him by placing a hand on his leg. “Sweetie, you are both adults. There is nothing wrong with her staying in your room with you if that is what you are both comfortable with.”

 

The hedgehog breathed a sigh of relief. He had never exactly had a girl stay over before. “Thanks, Ma.”

 

She gave him a warm motherly smile. “I’m glad you’ve made a friend that makes you so happy. You’ve seemed very cheerful since you got here, you know.” Her face went from sweet to serious. “ _ But _ that doesn’t excuse you from not helping out this morning. Don’t forget that you promised to visit every couple of months to help out when you left for the big city.” 

 

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t forget, Ma,” he told her. When he was younger, his parents wanted him to grow up and take over their dairy farm when he was older. But ever since then, he had always dreamed of being a rockstar. At first, his parents didn’t take it all that well. They didn’t believe that there was a way to have a successful future playing music.

 

The night he told his parents that he was actually leaving for Midi City, it resulted in a pretty big argument with his father. He was told that if he left that night, that he wouldn’t be welcome back. It took a lot of thought, but he just knew that he couldn’t give up on his music. So hours later, Crow and his Red Tomahawk were on the road.

 

While he wasn’t speaking to his father, he still made sure to call his mother once a week to check on both of them as well as the cows. Leaving home like he had was probably the hardest thing he had ever done. His family was very important to him. 

 

It took some time, but she was eventually able to talk his father into forgiving Crow and allowing him to come back home. By this time, Crow had just been signed to Banded Rocking Records and Shingancrimsonz was officially formed. It felt so nice to come back home for the first time and have such good news.

 

Since then, he and his father didn't get along quite like they used to, but in an attempt to make it up to him, Crow had promised his mother that each time he came home to visit, that he would do whatever he could to help out on the farm.

 

He stood from the couch. “I can still help with whatever needs done today. Just let me know what you need.” 

 

At this time, Hikari finally came downstairs and entered the living room. Crow’s mother looked to her and smiled. Really, it wouldn't hurt anything to give Crow a bit of a break this time around, considering he had very special company with him, but she knew just what to have him do. If he took her with him, it would be an excellent way to spend some alone time together.

 

“Why don't you two go out and get some vegetables for dinner?” she asked.

 

Crow turned around and realized Hikari was standing behind him. It didn't take her long to get ready at all, yet she still looked so pretty... He blushed just a little before turning back to his mother and kissing her cheek. “We’re on it, Ma! We will be back in plenty of time to help start dinner, too.”

 

A big smile grew on Hikari’s face. Sure, she never had a mom to cook with, but when she was a child, she loved helping Kamiko’s butler in the kitchen. 

 

Crow took her hand and lead her out of the living room. “Is the grocery store far? Should we head over to the bus stop?”

 

He only chuckled and grabbed one of his mother's yard working aprons. “We aren't going anywhere. My family grows everything they need right here on the farm!”

 

Hikari’s eyes brightened at the sound of it. His family really was amazing... She absolutely loved the idea of working for everything and earning it on your own. She took the apron and quickly put it on. “Lead the way, Hoglet!!”

 

\---

 

Out in the vegetable garden by their home, laughter filled the air. A basket full of carrots and potatoes sat on one side of them. Hikari lay on the ground, completely covered in dirt, while Crow sat next to her absolutely spotless.

 

“I can't believe you did that!” Hikari said between giggles.

 

Crow reached his arm over to lean over top of her with a smirk on his face. “You deserved it! If you would’ve stopped teasing me, then I wouldn't have done it!”

 

Hikari continuously made jokes to him about how digging vegetables out of the ground must have been so easy for him, since he was short and close to the ground as it was. Even if he  _ was _ just a little taller than her, she couldn't resist making the jokes, since it was something everyone always teased him about when they were at BRR. The look on his face when she joked with him was too cute not to continue. 

 

To get her back, he took handfuls of dirt when she wasn't looking and let it fall right on her head. Normally, Hikari would have gotten really angry at such a thing... She would start shouting and hitting... But  _ everything _ was different with Crow. She spit a bit of dirt out of her mouth and fell back laughing. 

 

He chuckled at her and wiped some of the dirt off of her face. “I'm sorry, Hikari. We can go inside and get you cleaned up.”

 

“Fine...” She sat up, still laughing and kissed him. The moment he closed his eyes to return the kiss, she took a handful of dirt and got the side of his face. “Oh no... You have a little something on your face, Hoglet!”

 

“Aww come on!! Not my face!” he whined, which only made Hikari laugh harder.

 

“You deserved it!” she told him, repeating what he said earlier. “Now let's go! You're just covered in dirt!”

 

He stood and took her hand to help her up, then grabbed the basket. From the window, Crow’s mother watched to two walk back. She couldn't stop smiling at how adorable they were together. She loved seeing her little Crow laughing and carrying on with Hikari the way he was.

 

When they walked back inside, she took the basket from Crow and told them both to go wash up if they wanted to help her with dinner. 

 

\---

 

Crow’s family and Hikari all sat down to dinner together, and talked just as they had each night since they had got there. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about. But this time, Hikari did most of the talking.

 

“I just love that you grow your own food. It's so much different than what I'm used to, but I would love to do it sometime. I have a flower garden at Kamiko’s mansion, where I grew up. There are about 10 different types of flowers there that I grew all on my own!” The garden was much larger than she made it sound, too. Some of the flowers planted included large rose bushes that surrounded a basketball court that Sebastian set up just for her. When Hikari was younger, while she wasn't playing music, she was outdoors playing. The garden was like her little hideaway for when she wanted to be alone. She would either tend to her flowers or play basketball with herself, and sometimes Sebastian if he wasn't too busy taking care of Kamiko.

 

Crow watched Hikari with a smile on his face. He loved hearing about her life, whether it was the good stories or the sad. Knowing that she loved the outdoors made him very happy. Even though farming wasn't his choice for a career, it was something he still enjoyed very much, and it would be nice to bring her back again. The fact that his parents seemed to like her so much told him that it was very possible.

 

\---

 

When dinner was finished, Hikari helped Crow’s mother put everything away and did the dishes for her. When all the work was finished, she met Crow up in his bedroom.

 

Moments before she entered the room, the hedgehog was pacing around the room with a thousand thoughts running through his mind. What exactly was he going to say to her? And how was she going to react?

 

Just when he heard her knock at his door, he jolted out of his thoughts. He opened the door to see her smiling up at him. He loved that smile of hers... “Come on in,” he told her just before taking a seat on the futon. He was so nervous, that he couldn't stop tapping his foot.

 

She closed the door behind her and sat down next to him with a chuckle. “What are you so jittery for?”

 

“Ahh... well you see...” He took a deep breath and sighed. He could do this. If he could sing in front of thousands of cattle, then this should be easy. “I really like you, Hikari, and I... just wanted to see where you think all of this is going. Are things still going to be like this when we get back to Midi City?”

 

She sat in silence for just a few moments. This was the question she was hoping she wouldn't have to answer until the time came. The truth was, she wasn't completely sure she knew where things were going to go with them. She liked him a lot, too... but back in the city she had two jobs, one of them being her music, which took up most of her time. Did she even have time for a relationship? Would their friends approve? And what about his fans? 

 

“Crow…” she started, which made the poor hedgehog's heart sink. “To be honest with you, I'm not so sure I know. How could we possibly make it work back there? If everyone found out, you know we’d never hear the end of it...”

 

He sat up straight and took her hand. “Yeah, but I'm okay with taking that chance. I think you're worth it.”

 

She smiled, feeling her face heat up a little. “Thank you, Hoglet... I just think it will be too hard.”

 

Hikari looked up to him the moment he let go of her hand, suddenly feeling guilty. He looked so upset… Maybe she wasn't handling this the right way. “Then what exactly are we doing?”

 

“I... I don't know. But do we really need to figure it out right now? Why is this suddenly such a big deal to you?” she asked, sounding a little more harsh than she had planned.

 

He turned to face her, but had a hard time looking her in the eyes. “Didn't you hear me? I said I really like you... I was kind of hoping this was going to go somewhere after we left and not just be something we pretended never happened.”

 

Hikari stood up from the futon. She had never dealt with anything like this before and was unsure how to take it. “I just... I don't want things to get weird between us. I can't risk the chance of ruining our friendship.” She reached for his hand but he pulled away. “Okay... I guess I need to give you some time. I'll just... see you in the morning.”

 

Before Crow could even look up again, she was gone and he was alone in his room. He sat down on the edge of his bed and sighed. He should have been a bit more considerate. Asking Hikari to be his girlfriend was a little more complicated that he thought. It  _ would _ stir up a lot of questions the moment they got back, and she had enough stress there as it was. He couldn't let himself add to that... but he  _ did _ want to be able to make her happy.

 

He put his head in his hands and stared at the floor... where he saw the little plush of himself that they had playfully fought over the night before…

 

\---

 

Hikari sat on the floor of the other bedroom practically in tears. What was she doing? Crow had been so wonderful to her and she just turned him down... even though that was the last thing she actually wanted to do.

 

He told her exactly how he felt and admitted that being with her was worth getting teased by their friends. He said all of that... and she didn't even tell him how she felt back. She didn't tell him about the butterflies she felt when he stared at her with those amazing crimson red eyes... How just thinking about him made her smile... How his kisses made her feel like she was on fire... How just being in the same room as him made her the happiest she has ever been...

 

Damn it! She was so angry with herself.

 

Suddenly, there was a quiet knock at the door. She quickly wiped her eyes and stood to answer the door, and found Crow standing there with the plush in his hand.

 

“I knew that when I saw you didn't have this that you might have a hard time sleeping... so I thought I'd bring him to you. It would have been a long, lonely night for him too, if I hadn't, so... here...” He held the toy out to her and Hikari looked up to him, feeling the tears welling up again.

 

Rather than taking the plush from him, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his body, pulling Crow into a tight hug. “I really like you, too, Hoglet. Please... don't be mad at me. I want to make this work, but I...”

 

His eyes grew wide when she hugged him, not at all expecting her to say such things. Out of respect for her, he didn’t even plan on bringing it up. He held her close to him and pet her hair. Hearing that she liked him just as much as he liked her was a huge relief... but she was still so hesitant.

 

She buried her face into his chest. “I’m worried about how everyone will take it.”

 

He pulled away just enough to see her face. “Why does that bother you so much? Are you embarrassed of me?”

 

“No! Not at all. It’s just... I know how Kamiko is going to react and I don’t want that to make things weird. I don’t know if you know this, but she liked you at one point, and... what if she still does? And what about  _ your _ friends? I already feel like Aion doesn’t like me, sometimes, and Rom gave him that big speech when he and Kamiko started dating about how much of a distraction she is to him and that we are just a couple of fangirls...” She spoke so quickly, that he only understood parts of what she was saying to him. To stop her, and calm her down a little, he placed both of his hands on her cheeks and made her look at him.

 

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?” He chuckled to himself just a little and kissed her forehead. “I’m really sorry for pushing all of this on you. If it makes you feel any better, it’s not something we have to tell everyone right away. I don’t want this to stop when we go back to the city.”

 

She stared at him for a moment. Was he saying he wanted to keep their relationship a secret for a while? She was silent for a few long moments, but finally, she smiled. “Okay... Let’s make this work. I really want to be with you.” He really meant a lot to her, even just after the short time they were on his farm together. He had done so much for her and made her really happy. She couldn’t possibly give something like that up.

 

With his hands still on her face, he stared deeply into her beautiful green eyes. Hearing those words made him feel incredible and he couldn’t stop thinking about how badly he wanted her. His stare made her heart beat faster to the point that she thought it might explode. He pulled her in, pressing his lips to hers, gently. The warmth of his mouth sent a current running through her body. 

 

At first, the kiss was small. But then it grew bigger, and more intense. She slipped her hands up in his shirt, craving the feeling of his skin against her own as he pushed her against the wall. She gasped as her back hit the hard surface. He pulled his lips away from her own and trailed his kisses down her jaw and neck, her warm skin driving him crazy.

 

Hikari could barely breathe through it all. Her mind was clouded, but a voice inside her head made an attempt to speak reason to her. She opened her mouth to speak through her shaky breaths. “Crow... We can’t forget that your parents are in the room just below us...”

 

He reluctantly pulled away from her with a sigh. He was so worked up after all of that, but didn’t want to push her any further if she wasn’t comfortable with it. And she was right. The room she had been staying in was directly above his parents’ bedroom. It really wouldn’t have been the best idea to get too physical up there. “Sorry... I wasn’t exactly thinking.”

 

She chuckled a little, finally catching her breath. “I’m not mad. That was... wow,” she said. She couldn’t only imagine what it would have been like if she had let him continue. Just that little bit of affection she got from him there made her feel like she was on top of the world. She gave him a small kiss on the lips and whispered to him, “So... you do realize you can’t leave me alone after all of that, right?” She winked, and tried her best to hold in a smirk when she realized how hard he was blushing.

 

In one quick motion, he picked her up in his arms, catching her completely off guard. She let out a bit of a yelp before laughing to herself. He carried her down the steps to his own room, and kicked the door shut behind him. Gently, he put her down on his bed with a smile. “There... Now you don’t have to be alone. I’ll be right here with you for the rest of the night.” He hovered over her with a smile.

 

“You’re the best,” she told him while playing with his tie.

 

“Believe me, I know,” he responded, just before getting pulled down to her by his tie. The gesture had his face completely red. He never suspected that was where she was going with that. Missing the feeling of his lips against hers, she kissed him again. 

 

After sharing a few long, passionate kisses, they happily fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  
  



	13. Track 13

**Track 13**

 

The next morning, Crow made sure to get up early enough to help his parents, just as he had promised. When he woke up, Hikari was nestled comfortably in his arms. He smiled at just how peaceful she looked. He didn't want to wake her, so he carefully slipped away from her and pulled the covers over her to keep her warm. He picked up the little plush Crow and tucked it into her arms. She deserved to sleep in a little. This was supposed to be a vacation for her.

 

When Hikari woke just a few hours later, she opened her eyes to find herself in an empty room. She sat up holding the plush in her arms and looked around. It was a little disappointing to wake up alone, but she knew he had responsibilities to take care of each morning.

 

She got herself dressed and made her way down to the barn, where she was sure to find Crow. She walked in and saw the hedgehog brushing and talking to one of the cows. This cow looked much different than all the others. Rather than being white with black spots, this cow was black with white spots. 

 

The animal nuzzled her face against his hand as he spoke. Hikari watched from the doorway and listened carefully.

 

“...She's really great, you know. But come on, you and I both know that if anyone should have a girlfriend as great as she is, it should be someone as great as  _ I  _ am, right?” he said, confidently as he brushed her. The cow let out a happy “moo” in response.

 

Girlfriend... Wow. Hikari was actually someone's girlfriend. It was honestly a title she never thought she would have.

 

“Ma and Pa seem to really like her, and so did all of my friends. I just hope when we get back to the city our friends there aren't so hard on her. They can say anything they want to me, but I don't want them to upset her,” he said with a sigh. “She’s been through a lot, and I want to make sure she is happy.”

 

Hikari smiled and finally decided to speak up. “I will be...”

 

Crow dropped the brush at the sound of her voice and spun around with an embarrassed look on his face. She heard all of that? 

 

She walked in the barn and kissed his cheek. “Morning, Hoglet.” This only made his face even redder.

 

“M-Morning,” he said with an embarrassed laugh. “I had no idea you were listening.”

 

“Yeah, well I wanted to come find you... I didn’t know how much longer you would be, so I decided to see if you needed any help,” she told him with a smile. She bent down to pick up the brush and handed it back to him. 

 

“I still have a lot to do, so you should go relax... I didn’t want to bother you since you’re supposed to be on vacation and all, and--”

 

Suddenly, Crow was interrupted by the cow using her head to nudge at his back and push her into the girl, causing him to take her in his arms. He was completely flustered. All Hikari could do was giggle at him. “You're on vacation, too. If I help you, you can finish sooner! I've already spent enough time alone this week when I was working on music...” She gave him a playful pout which only made him blush more.

 

“Alright, you win... But one way or another you're going to take some time to relax!” he told her with a serious look on his face. She couldn't just spend her  _ whole _ time off working. 

 

“Fine... But so are you!” She rolled her eyes. Something felt so different here.  _ She _ felt different here. The normal Hikari would be just fine being locked up in a room by herself for a whole week, but she was so addicted to being around him. If she was going to “relax,” then she was going to make him relax with her.

 

He chuckled and stole a quick kiss before letting her go. “Okay, okay...” He turned back to the cow and pat the top of her head. “If you want to help, you can finish brushing her while I get some hay.”

 

Hikari nodded, then paused for a moment to look at him. “I don't understand something... Why is it that you brush and take care of this cow but none of the others?”

 

“Oh! Well... that's because that cow is mine. I used to sing and practice my guitar for her when I was first starting out... and sometimes I would just come out and talk to her. She's a great listener you know,” he told Hikari, making her laugh a little since she knew he was referring to what she walked in on. It was kind of cute, she had to admit. “Now that I'm not around as much, I try to spend a little extra time with her and tell her how things are going with my life and my music career.”

 

“You know... that's really sweet Crow. You seem to have everything here.” She looked to the cow and gave her a little pet, herself. Hikari loved the farm life. She really appreciated all the hard work that was put into it all.

 

He watched her with a smile as she started brushing the cow for him. It was a nice sight to see her helping with the cattle. Just the thought of having her by his side in everything he did, whether it be at his home helping on the farm, or back in the city working on music... it made him happy. While there was nothing wrong with his life before meeting her, now that she was around everything seemed brighter.

 

\---

 

After what seemed like hours, all of the cows were fed and taken care of. Hikari even watched Crow milk one of the cows, and even teased him a little while he did, embarrassing the poor boy. She did make it up to him, however, when she accidentally stepped in the bucket... When that milk was ruined, he was forced to do it all over again, but she stepped in and asked him to teach her instead since she felt so guilty. 

 

When they went back inside, his mother had lunch all prepared for them. It was nothing huge, but the little sandwiches were so adorable. They were cut into cute little shapes like cow bells and milk bottles. The soup she made was delicious, too!

 

Crow ate a little too quickly, making a mess all over the table. She wasn't all that surprised. He did the same thing at Angelica's every time they went down with their friends. She laughed and grabbed a towel to clean it up, but the moment she touched the table with it, he grabbed her wrist. “Nuh-uh! You sit back down and relax. I got this!” 

 

Hikari rolled her eyes with a smile. “Please... I've never seen you clean up after yourself after eating.”

 

“Wha-? But... I... There was that time--” he started... but couldn't even come up with a time that he had. God damn it... She was right. “That's not important! You're not doing any more for me today! You deserve a break.”

 

“Oh come on, Hoglet... I  _ like _ helping around here,” she told him as she cleaned up the mess anyway. Sure it was still work, but it was a different kind of work than she was used to.

 

He pouted when she started cleaning up anyway. When she took their dishes and started washing them, an idea struck him. Hikari seemed to enjoy the simple things, so it would be a nice little “getaway” for her.

 

\---

 

Later that night after they finished having dinner with his parents, Crow took Hikari up to his room, where all of her stuff now was. Before they ate, he disappeared for a little while, saying he needed to get something ready for her. He told her to grab everything she might need for the night. She couldn't help but laugh at how excited he was. Where were they even going? 

 

They packed a bag, which Crow took from her, snuck something inside and threw over his shoulder, then took her hand. He walked with her through the fields and closer to where they had gotten off the bus earlier that week. It had just grown dark out, and she couldn't tell where it was they were walking. “So... are you going to tell me what we are doing all the way out here?”

 

The hedgehog only chuckled. “Oh you’ll see...” He squeezed her hand before letting go and running toward the old barn that Hikari remembered seeing the day they got there. She followed behind, watching him curiously.

 

He sat the bag down, then flipped a switch. Lights that he had strung all around the inside of the barn came on, giving a calm, dim lighting to the small building. He smiled to her and held out his hand for her to take and follow him inside.

 

Hikari blinked, admittedly a little shocked. He lead her inside, where a large pile of hay was lying... and plopped himself down on top of it. She raised an eyebrow at him, with a bit of a judging look on her face. 

 

“What's that look for?” he asked with a laugh. “Come on! It's comfortable!” He pat the spot next to him.

 

She sighed with a smile. He had done all of this for her. How could she not do this one thing for him? She got down next to him and relaxed into the hay. It was crunchy and a little scratchy, but it was nice. 

 

“Well...?” he asked her. “What do you think?”

 

She chuckled. “It’s nice. I’ve slept outside a few times before, but I think I like this...”

 

“See? Maybe you should listen to me more often!” he told her with a cocky smile on his face as he rolled over to face her. “What did you sleep outside for?”

 

She folded her hands on her stomach and stared at the ceiling if the barn. “Well... there were a few times while I was still at the orphanage. I'd get so annoyed with everyone there that I'd take really long walks. Sometimes it got dark before I'd head back and I wouldn't remember how to get back... So I'd sleep wherever I was. And there were also a few times that Kamiko and I would fight and... I'd stay out in my garden all night.” After a pause, she continued so he wouldn't worry. “I know it all sounds bad, but really I don't mind it. I love being outdoors.”

 

He nodded as he listened. Her past sounded so sad, but no one could suspect anything like that had ever happened to her if they knew nothing about her. She was such a strong girl. Even if she did have a bit of a temper at times, it was rare that anything ever actually bothered her that would really eat away at anyone else. 

 

She continued, still looking up at the twinkling lights that hung above them. “It's nice, you know... I love breathing in the fresh air and the stress free atmosphere. I don't have to worry about anyone other than myself.” As that last phrase escaped her lips she quickly rolled over and looked at him, hoping that didn't offend him. “But I feel a little differently about that now. Spending time out here with you right now is much nicer.”

 

Once she turned to face him, he moved a little closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I'm glad you feel that way. This barn was where I'd play my guitar for the cattle until my parents remodeled our home and put that studio in my room. It was my favorite place to come and be by myself. No one ever bothered me out here... which is why I thought it would make the perfect spot to bring you to relax.”

 

“You're too sweet, Hoglet... But why are you so concerned with me relaxing? I don't mind helping out,” she asked with a curious look on her face.

 

“It's just... When we are at BRR, you always seem so stressed and overworked... but since we got here, I've seen everything change. You've seemed so calm and happy. I don't want to see that go away. You deserve to always feel that way.” He rolled her over so she was laying on her back again, but this time he rested his upper body on hers, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

 

She could feel herself get a little choked up at his words and gave him a small, gentle kiss on the lips. “You don't have to worry about me like that. I can take care of myself...” 

 

“I know you can, but I really care about you, Angel...” he said, not realizing he used that name.

 

“Wait, what?” She blinked, failing to hide the red in her cheeks.

 

“I said I ca--”

 

“N-No... What did you call me?” she asked. Surely she wasn't just hearing things. And  _ if _ she wasn't... how sweet was he? Not only that, but did he really care about her that much? How should she even react to such a thing? 

 

“Huh? Hikari, of course... What else would I have called you?” he said with an embarrassed laugh, catching on to the fact that he let it slip.

 

“Crow... You called me Angel... Why? What's that all about?” she asked. It was hard for him to tell if it actually offended her or if she liked it.

 

“Well... why  _ not _ ? I think it suits you... You have a name for me, anyway...” And while “Hoglet” used to be something that was embarrassing to him, he had really warmed up to it coming from her. After all, it wasn't all that different to having her call him “baby,” but this way it was unique, just like him.

 

Calling her “Angel” just felt right to him. He had never met someone so beautiful and perfect as she was. At least that was how he felt, whether she thought so or not. 

 

Her vision became fuzzy as her eyes started filling with tears. Not once had anyone ever treated Hikari the way Crow did. And this wasn't the first time, either. He made her feel special, like she actually mattered. Something she didn't exactly feel very often. 

 

She hoped it wasn't too soon for her to feel the way she did about him, but he was so special to her. If only he had entered her life a long time ago. She could only imagine how things would have turned out.

 

She swallowed back her tears and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down all the way to kiss him. He closed his eyes and melted into the kiss. She had a way of making him forget about everything around him when she kissed him this way. 

 

He ran his hand down the side of her body, feeling the soft, thin material of the black dress with the grey leopard spots she had worn just a couple nights before when his friends visited. The dress drove him crazy. It was a bit of a shorter, summery dress that came just above her knees... and the shoes she wore with it did amazing things for her legs. If only she would wear such things more often...

 

Crow’s mind continued to race, being filled with images of her all dressed up and for no one else but him, when he heard the petite leopard make a small noise beneath him. She seemed to enjoy his touch way more than he had expected. He wasn't ready to stop, either. He let his other hand slide down her body, going just a bit further this time and brush against the outer side of her thigh. 

 

Before he knew it, she kissed him a little deeper letting her tongue slip into his mouth for the first time. Feeling caught a little off guard, he froze, letting his hand rest on her hip. His eyes opened the moment she released her arms from his neck and felt her hands slide down his chest and... start unbuttoning his shirt?

 

Was this going where he thought it was going? Of course, he had come prepared, but did he expect her to be the one to initiate it? No... Was it so hard for him to believe that she wanted to go that far with him? Hell no! Who wouldn't, honestly?

 

By the time he snapped out of his thoughts again, she was already slipping the shirt over his shoulders... She sure moved quick...

 

He was careful not to break their kiss as he started unbuttoning the whole way down her dress, feeling selfishly ambitious as he felt around under the dress to find that she was wearing a lacy bra... He felt his heart stop. From the kiss, he couldn't actually see it, but it wasn't hard for him to imagine.

 

Hikari, who seemed more than confident beneath him felt like she might die inside as she slipped her arms out of her dress. This was really happening... Even if they had really only been together for a few days... it all felt right. Like it was meant to be. They were completely alone. When would they get another chance like this? She swallowed any fears she might have and started working on his belt.

 

The hedgehog gulped. There was certainly no turning back now. He pulled away to give her a little assistance, feeling his face burn with crimson as he caught a glimpse of her. When all of their clothes were removed, he leaned into her again invading her sweet lips with his own once again. He kissed her softly for a few moments before pulling away and whispering into her ear. “Are you sure you're ready for this?” Without even trying he sounded a bit over confident with himself. Of course it was just a way to distract him from the nervous rush he was feeling.

 

Hikari wanted to speak, but no words came out. Instead she nodded quickly and placed both hands on his face as she pulled him in to kiss her again. 

 

\---

 

The moments that followed felt like a huge blur to the two of them. They both lied next to each other in the hay, covered by a red blanket that Crow packed for them. Since neither of them had any experience before that night, they weren't exactly sure what to expect, but boy they most certainly weren't disappointed. 

 

After a few long moments of silence, Crow rolled over so he could be over top of Hikari again. His face shimmering from the lights shining against his sweaty face. “I know that  _ had _ to be amazing for you, but damn... that was so good,” he said while catching his breath.

 

Hikari couldn't help but smile at his adorable cocky attitude. He was always so full of himself, and she loved every moment of it. But she also enjoyed teasing him for it. “Well... I'm not sure I'd call it ‘amazing’... I mean... it was  _ okay _ I guess.” 

 

“‘ _ Okay _ ’!? Puh-lease... you were practically  _ begging  _ me for more! Not like I could blame you, my Angel... If I had the chance to be with someone as talented as mys--”

 

Hikari put her hand over his mouth with a huge smirk on her face, trying her hardest not to crack up. “Whoa, there Hoglet... I don't need to hear what you do with yourself when you're alone.” Her face was bright red after hearing the first part of his response, however. He wasn't exactly making that part up... It was a good thing they were far away from everyone else. She rolled her eyes with a smile and continued. “You win... It  _ was _ amazing. I never knew it could be like that.”

 

He let out a little tiny hedgehog squeal from under her hand just before falling next to her in the hay again. “I'm so amazing!”

 

Hikari let out a little giggle and rested her head on his chest, hugging his bare body close to her own. “You know what... I think so, too.” She closed her eyes with a big smile on her face.

 

Hearing her say such things only inflated his ego further. Just as he was about to say something else, he felt her relax against him. With a warm smile, he ran his fingers through her soft hair, brushing a few pieces of hay out. “But you... You really are something...”

 


	14. Track 14

**Track 14**

 

Morning came much too fast as the sound of a nearby rooster woke them both from a peaceful sleep. They both sat up quickly and looked at each other. It didn't take long for either of them to remember where they were or what had happened the night before. Hikari couldn't help but laugh at how ruffled his hair was. He had little pieces of hay sticking out everywhere!

 

He chuckled as she started picking the pieces out. It wasn't the first time he had fallen asleep in that barn, so he was used to waking up with hay in his hair. When she finished, he took her hand and pulled her close to plant a small kiss on her cheek. 

 

Crow took the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders as he searched around for her clothes so that she could get dressed. He looked for his after and packed the blanket back in the bag.

 

“I know it's pretty early, but we might want to go ahead back. If you're still tired, you can take my bed,” the hedgehog said as he helped her up.

 

She smiled. Without saying a word, she leaned into him and just held him close to her, wanting just a few more moments alone with him. She honestly didn't care if she got to go back to sleep or not. He looked down at her, a little surprised at the sudden affection but hugged her close to him. 

 

When she was finally ready to let him go, he grabbed his hand and smiled up at him. “Okay, let's go.”

 

\---

 

The moment they walked through the door, they heard the sound of Crow’s mother’s voice as she walked out to the hallway to meet them. “And where have you two been all morning?”

 

At first she was only teasing until she saw the one stray piece of hay in Hikari’s hair and picked it out. “Oh Crow.. You didn't make this poor girl sleep in that dirty barn of yours did you?” She looked to Hikari and put her hands on her shoulders. “I'm so sorry dear. You are welcome to go up and wash off in the tub.”

 

Hikari chuckled at her motherly reaction. “It's really okay, ma’am. But I might take you up on that offer. A bath would be nice.”

 

\---

 

After getting a couple towels from his mother, Hikari made her way up to the bathroom and soaked in a nice hot bubble bath. She sighed as she relaxed into the water. She couldn't believe it was the end of the week already. They only had one night left before they had to head back to Midi City. While she was glad he was okay with keeping their relationship to themselves for a while, she hated the thought of not being able to spend as much time with him. Between work and their two bands.. it didn't leave much time for them to be alone together.

 

There just had to be a way. She couldn't lose what she had with him. Surely, Kamiko would understand.. Somehow, she had to talk to her about him. It made her so nervous. Hikari had never been with anyone before. So that on its own would make the lioness go crazy. 

 

She took some water in her hands and washed her face. She had to tell her. If she could just tell Kamiko, it wouldn't matter if anyone else found out. He already said he didn't care what his friends thought, so why should she?

 

But then again.. Kamiko had a way of getting too excited over such things. What if she scared him away..? Was that even a possibility? 

 

Hikari stared up at the ceiling. Keeping it a secret at first shouldn't be too hard. Kamiko spends nights in Aion’s room quite a bit. She could always sneak to Crow’s room on those nights. Then, once she felt like she is ready, she will tell Kamiko.

 

She let the water drain from the tub and wrapped herself in a towel. She stared at herself in the mirror and smiled. She was happy. That was the important part, right? She really wanted to talk to her about him.. Maybe she still could. She didn't have to give any names, right? As far as Kamiko knew.. she didn't know this guy, right?

 

\---

 

Hikari got herself dressed and walked down the stairs. She could smell food cooking in the kitchen. Crow’s mother must be making breakfast!

 

She stepped foot into the kitchen to see Crow placing plates of food on the table.. but only two. His parents must have already eaten. How sweet of him to wait for her. The more she paid attention, she realized that Crow was wearing an apron. 

 

She gave a little chuckle. “What are you wearing, Hoglet? Is this because you made such a mess eating lunch yesterday?”

 

“Hm?” He looked up to see her smiling at him. Even if she happened to be judging him, her smile was contagious. “Wha? No! I.. uhh.. I made breakfast.”

 

Hikari paused. “You.. did?” Was this the same Crow? She had no idea he cooked! Was he the perfect boyfriend or what? She took a seat at the table with a huge smile on her face. The pancakes he made looked amazing! She thought she might cry!

 

He took a seat next to her and watched her closely. Even if he was really hungry, he really wanted to see the look on her face when she took the first bite. It was his first time cooking anything from scratch.

 

She cut a bite off and dipped it in her syrup before sticking it in her mouth. The moment she did, her eyes popped open. She looked up to him with a hand on her mouth. 

 

“So? It's great isn't it?” Did he really have to ask? Of course it was! But he was excited to hear her say it.

 

Or.. was it? She made herself swallow the bite. As much as she hated to admit it.. it was terrible. “Its.. wow, Crow.  _ You  _ made this?” she asked, avoiding telling him what she really thought of it.

 

“Yes I did! After you went upstairs, Ma and Pa left to make some milk deliveries, so I thought I'd surprise you!” He gave her a smirk as he got a bite on his own fork. Hikari watched nervously as he put the bite in his mouth. The moment he did, he scrunched his face up and spit it into his napkin. “Um.. You don't have to eat that if you don't really want to.”

 

Hikari gave him a sad smile. She felt so bad. He was being so thoughtful. “I didn't want to tell you.. We can make more, though! I’ll help you this time, okay?”

 

He smiled. “Okay..” Damn it.. The one time he wanted to make her something and he messed it up. At least they were going to be making them together this time.

 

Of course, making them “together” turned into her mixing all of the ingredients while the two of them teased each other. Before everything was said and done, Hikari flicked flour in his face, resulting to him dipping a finger in the batter and trying to wipe in on her face. He practically had her pinned against the wall when he finally got the goop on her cheek.

 

She growled at him and gave him a pout. “I can't believe you did that!”

 

“Oh come on.. It's really not that bad. Besides, now I can do this!” Before Hikari could question him, he licked the batter off her cheek and laughed.

 

“Gross!” She shouted, her face burning from embarrassment. “You can't do that!” She pushed away from him and went back to stirring the batter. 

 

With a smile on his face, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and spoke into her ear. “Oh come on. You liked it. Admit it~”

 

She blushed a deep red and shivered when he spoke into her ear. “I never once said that.. Now go sit down while I finish these.” She had an idea in mind, but he couldn't watch her while she did it. Something Hikari loved doing while making pancakes, was making them into little shapes. She knew exactly what to do for his.

 

“Oh, come on! I can see it on your fa--” he started, until she turned to him with a glare and pointed at his seat. “Alright, alright..” He sat down and drank his milk, silently pouting to himself.

 

It took a little longer while she made the little shapes in the pan, but finally she was finished. She brought his plate over to him and sat it in front of him. The pancakes on his plate were shaped just like his guitar, Red Tamohawk! How did she do that? Hers were made into cute little hearts, which he thought was adorable. “Hikari, these are awesome!” His eyes lit up as he dug in. They tasted so much better than the ones he had made.

 

“I'm glad you like them!” Hikari told him with a smile on her face. She watched him in admiration as they ate. It amazed her that in the course of only a week, she had fallen this hard for him.. Before the trip, they had grown to be the closest of friends. Besides Kamiko, she had never had that with anyone. 

 

He was so much different than anyone she had ever met before. He was fun and a bit loud at times, but when they were alone working on music he was a little more serious. But coming home to his farm, she saw yet another side of him that never had the chance to come out at BRR.. She learned that he could also be very sweet and caring. Of course on top of that, he was very attractive.. He had just the slightest bit of muscle from working on his parents’ farm and the cutest hair. And then there were his eyes.. They were a bright crimson red.. Her favorite color.

 

Once Crow finished his breakfast, he looked up to see the leopard staring at him. “Hikari..? What's up? Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Hikari quickly swallowed her bite of pancake and looked away. How embarrassing to be caught.. After a few moments of silence, she looked at him again. “Thank you.”

 

“Huh? But  _ you  _ ended up making breakfast for  _ me _ .. I didn't do anything.” He sighed at the realization that his surprise for her had turned out to be a failure.

 

“I'm not talking about that. I mean for everything, Crow. You have been absolutely amazing to me this week. It's really going to be hard going back tomorrow. I love it here.. Who knows where I would have ended up if you weren't at the bus stop that day..” She took his hand under the table. “I feel like I owe you so much.”

 

He chuckled. If only she knew how much having her there actually meant to him. They were already so close before the trip. At that point, Crow realized he liked her more than just a friend. He was happy that now they were more than that. “Hikari.. You owe me nothing. It was nice to have someone with me all week. Not only that, but to have someone like  _ you _ with me all week.. So thank  _ you _ for being here.”

 

Hikari felt tears filling her eyes. The thoughts of how things would be when they return to the city began entering her mind again. She sighed and shook those thoughts from her mind. They still had one night left. There was no sense in wasting it by worrying about going home.

 

\---

 

Since Hikari turned out to be the one who made breakfast, Crow told her he would clean up if she wanted to relax somewhere. At first, she wanted to say no, but knew how disappointed he was over not making the perfect breakfast for her, so instead she agreed and went up to his room.

 

She sat down at the piano and took the cover off the keys. She took a deep breath and sighed before starting a soft tune. She couldn't explain it, but it had been a melody that she heard in her head all morning. She stopped immediately to write the notes down in her notebook. Before she knew it, she had a decent amount written.. Something that usually took her weeks to have done.

 

When she finished writing those down, she played it again, this time adding to it. She continued to play, slowly building up to a full length song. It was amazing! Never had she ever written a song that she was already so happy with that quickly. She almost felt as if the song was coming straight from her heart.

 

Down in the kitchen, Crow was just finishing up when he heard the piano in his room. Was she playing? As he walked up the stairs toward his bedroom, he noticed that his door was open and the music was in fact coming from inside. Quietly, he poked his head inside to see her sitting at the piano, playing with her eyes closed. Her Melodesian Stone was floating in front of her chest and shining brightly. Whatever song it was that she was playing, it seemed to be one that she was super passionate about. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe as he listened.

 

When she finished, the shining faded and her stone returned to her chest. She let out a happy sigh as she opened her eyes to see Crow watching her. At first, she was embarrassed, but then it hit her. It was all him.  _ He  _ was the inspiration she needed to start writing music again. She stood up from the piano and met him at the door. 

 

“Hikari.. That song was beautiful,” he told her. Just as he opened his mouth to say more, Hikari grabbed his tie and pulled him into a kiss. He couldn’t help but blush as she did this. It seemed to be her new favorite thing to do, and it flustered him every time. 

  
  


She pulled away from the kiss and looked up to him, her teal colored eyes sparkling. She felt like the luckiest girl in all of Sound World. With Friday being the day of the week that his parents were out all day delivering milk to local businesses, she had him all to herself all day with none of his housework getting in the way, not that she had any problem with that. 

 

He closed the door behind him and held her hand as she lead him back to the piano. With a big smile on her face, she picked up the acoustic guitar that was on the stand next to his beloved autographed guitar. She then took her notebook and turned to the page with the song she had just written and sat it in front of him. “Play this part,” she said as she pointed to a line on the page.

 

Slightly confused, he did as she asked, followed by her playing another part on the piano. When she played before, he was most definitely impressed, but after hearing what it sounded like when they both played, he loved it even more. He felt so connected to her through that song. 

 

When they finished playing, Hikari let out a happy laugh. “It worked.. That’s exactly how it was supposed to sound!” She turned around and wrapped her arms around him. How amazing would it be to perform a song like that with him one day? She was determined to make that happen. She rested her forehead against his and just held him close. She felt so drawn to him, and couldn’t get enough of his presence. It was like she was addicted to him…

 

“I love it, Angel. It might be the best song I’ve heard you write. What brought all of that up?” he questioned, while keeping her close to him.

 

After a few moments of silence, she started twirling his tie with her fingers. “You..” she responded. “You inspired me. I wrote this song for you, Hoglet. I’ve even titled it.” She paused before continuing. “I’m calling it ‘ _ Red Addiction _ ,’ because.. well you are--”

 

He didn’t let her finish, because in a way, she didn’t have to. He knew where she was going with what she was about to say and if he was honest, it was the same way he felt about her. In the middle of her sentence, he lifted her chin and kissed her again. He rested his hands on her hips as she placed hers on his face. As the kiss grew more passionate, he leaned into her, causing her to sit on the piano keys, which made them both jump and pull away from each other. They laughed together at how ridiculous they looked. They were certainly going to enjoy the rest of this day alone together.

 

\---

 

The day Hikari had been dreading for the last 24 hours had finally arrived. She was very excited to go back to the city to see their other friends, Kamiko in particular, but her time on the farm was probably the happiest time of her life. They both said their goodbyes to his parents, who told Hikari she would always be welcome back. It was the nicest feeling.

 

The bus ride that seemed to take so long on the way  _ to _ the farm seemed so much faster on the way back. Neither of them said much on the way there, due to the fact that they weren’t sure what to say without feeling emotional. Crow simply took Hikari’s hand in his and was sure not to let go the entire ride back.

 

As they made it to their stop, they both stood in silence. They agreed to take different routes back to BRR, so that they would make it back at separate times, but neither of them were ready to do so. Hikari was the first to break the silence by throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. “Thank you for everything,” she said, struggling to hold back tears.

 

He held her close, feeling himself choke up at the sound of the sadness in her voice. “Don’t be sad, my Angel. Besides.. I have something that might make this a little easier on you.”

 

She pulled away and tilted her head to the side in confusion. What could he mean? The leopard watched as he opened his bag and pulled out the little Crow plush. She laughed back tears when she noticed he had placed a little gift bow at the top of his head. “Crow.. You didn’t have to do this. He’s--”

 

“Yours now..” he said, finishing her sentence. “I don’t need him as much as you do. I know how happy that little plush toy makes you.

 

She hugged it close to her and sniffled before kissing Crow’s cheek. “Thank you.. You’re the best.” There was no more holding back tears for her. After kissing him, she wiped her eye with the hand that didn’t have the plush.

 

“Oh, trust me, I know,” he said with a wink, which made her smile. He was so adorable..

 

“Oh! I have something for you, too..” She opened her own bag and dug around for something before handing him a folded piece of paper. “I want you to finish ‘ _ Red Addiction _ .’ The song needs lyrics so that you can sing it..”

 

He smiled and read the notes on the page before carefully sticking it in his pocket. “I will. It will be my greatest work, yet~” he half-teased. “Thank you, Hikari.”

 

She smiled and placed the plush in her backpack before hanging it over her shoulder. She let out a sigh. “See you tonight at the ramen house?”

 

“Of course,” he replied and kissed her on the top of the head. “See you then.”

 

After a few moments of the two of them staring at each other, they finally went their separate ways, with Hikari taking the shorter route. As she started walking, she turned to look at him again as he disappeared into a sea of people.. Their vacation was officially over.

 

\---

 

Inside Angelica’s, Kamiko and Aion sat waiting patiently for each of their friends to make it back.. or one of them was at least. Kamiko might not have been the most patient lioness in the world. “Last I heard, she was on her way back.. but that was hours ago! Where is she?”

 

“You must learn some patience, my darkness. She will return shortly. Did she say where she would be coming from?” Aion asked with one hand on his face.

 

She pouted and propped her chin in her hands. “No.. All she said was she was staying on a farm somewhere with some boy.. Hiki actually ran off and got a boyfriend.. can you believe that?”

 

A farm... with some boy... On the other side of the cafe, a certain fox happened to hear most of their conversation. Yaiba thought over what the lioness was saying to Aion, when he recalled a certain member of their band telling him that he would be spending vacation on his parents’ farm. He looked to Kamiko and Aion, about to bring this up, when the bell on the door chimed, signaling that someone had just arrived.

 

“Hello..?” Hikari said as she came in.. but was immediately attacked by her best friend.

 

“HIKARI~!” Kamiko threw her arms around the leopard. “You’re finally home!! I’m so happy to see you! ...now talk! You have a lot of explaining to do! Where’s your new boyfriend!? Why didn’t you bring him here to meet us?”

 

She couldn’t help but laugh. She knew she should have expected something like this. “Kamiko, he has responsibilities of his own. It’s not that big of a deal. You’ll meet him someday.”

 

Kamiko growled and pouted just a bit. “Well you still owe me details.”

 

“Fiiine.. I had an amazing time. I’ll tell you more when it’s just the two of us,” she told her.

 

“Oh come on!” the impatient guitarist whined. “At least tell me how you met him..”

 

Hikari struggled to find the right words. How could she tell her how they met..? Just then, the bell chimed again as Crow entered and Hikari felt her face grow red. “Oh! Crow is back too!” she said, changing the subject.

 

As the hedgehog entered the cafe, the group greeted him, with Yaiba eying him suspiciously. He looked up to his bandmates with a smile. He knew that if he greeted Hikari first, things might seem too obvious.. right?

 

“Good to see you, Crow,” Kamiko said quickly. “I’d love to stay and chat, but Hiki and I have some catching up to do!” She grabbed the leopard by the arm and practically dragged her out the door. Hikari looked to Crow and shrugged. At least she would see him at dinner.

 

As the girls left with Aion not far behind, Yaiba turned to look at Crow again. “You two came back rather close together, didn’t you?”

 

“Wha-?” Crow responded, trying to keep himself from saying the wrong thing. “Who?”

 

So he was going to play dumb? That was fine.. “Hikari’s vacation sounded pretty interesting,” he replied. “It turns out she went to stay with ‘some boy’ on a farm, somewhere. Where again was it you said  _ you _ were going to be, Crow?”

 

Ah, crap.. He figured it out that quickly? “Yaiba... You can’t say anything. She doesn’t want anyone to know just yet.”

 

The fox couldn’t help but smirk. Ultimately, he was happy for him, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t poke fun at his small friend. “Your secret is safe with me.”

 

Crow let out a sigh of relief. If Kamiko were to find out that quickly, he could only imagine what kind of stress Hikari would have been under already. He didn’t want that. The next time they were alone, he would have to talk to her and try to get her to bring it up to her herself, before another one of his bandmates said something to her instead…

  
  



	15. Track 15

**Track 15**

 

_ Three weeks _ … That was how long it had been since Hikari and Crow returned from the farm. Nearly a month had passed since the two had secretly become a couple over vacation. In that three weeks, Hikari didn't have a single moment alone with Crow. It seemed as though their friends needed them more than usual. One moment it was Kamiko needing Hikari’s help choosing a dress, the next Rom was having one of his infamous band meetings where he would try to make the boys a little more focused on music. And when it wasn't anything like that, it was  _ everyone _ going out to ramen and  _ everyone _ going to see a concert together... Every now and then, they would exchange glances and try to sneak off together, but that usually resulted in something like Kamiko telling Hikari she’ll go to the bathroom with her.

 

Then there was their original plan for Hikari to spend the nights that Kamiko was in Aion’s room over in Crow’s... but did that happen? Of course not! For some reason,  _ Aion  _ was always staying over with  _ Kamiko _ ... Sure, they were respectful enough to keep their hands off each other (for the most part) when she was in the room, but she had no way to sneak off without them knowing!

 

The poor snow leopard was slowly getting more and more irritable, too. She found herself snapping at people without even realizing it... Crow included. This was when he started to notice that something had to be done.

 

It was a busy day at the cafe, and Hikari was working her ass off waiting just about every table in the cafe after a coworker called off. She could just tell that this was going to be the day that would break her. While Hikari was in the kitchen, dropping off a load of dirty dishes, the bell on the door chimed, signaling that another customer had entered. She sighed as she dropped the dishes in the sink. “It just never ends, does it?” she asked herself with a groan. She opened the door to the dining area and walked to the table, where a customer sat alone, reading the menu. She brushed off her little apron and took out her pen and notepad. “What can I get for you?”

 

A voice came from behind the menu. “I don't need anything, thank you.”

 

Seriously...? This guy comes in and takes a seat in the cafe and doesn't plan on ordering anything? She did  _ not _ have time for these games. “Look, you either need to order something or get out...” the slightly moody Hikari responded.

 

Crow put the menu down and looked up at the girl he adored so much with a smile. “I’ll order when you are off work, my Angel.” What better way to make her feel better than to treat her to a little date?

 

Hikari thought she might drop her pen. “Crow?! You-- What are you doing here?”

 

“I came to see you... I hate seeing you so down all the time. I know things have been a little rough since we got back, but I'm going to make it up to you, okay?” he told her. 

 

Hikari was speechless. Crow had never visited her at work before. “O-Okay, but... won't everyone wonder where you are?”

 

He grabbed her hand making her blush from embarrassment. “Listen... You and I were really close friends before we dated and everyone knows that. If they find out we were out together, they don't have to know it’s anything more than that!” Of course, with everything he had planned, it would be  _ way _ more than that. 

 

He had a very good point... Finally, she smiled and gave him a nod. “I will see you when I'm done, then.” With that, he kissed her hand, which flustered her all over again. That was something Crow never got tired of seeing. Hikari rushed back to the kitchen and held her notepad over her face. She was blushing so hard, but had the biggest smile on her face. The two of them had never been on a real date before.

 

\---

 

Just a couple hours later, Hikari finally finished her shift. Crow, who had patiently sat at the same table and watched her the entire time, finally stood to walk out with her. He smiled to himself as she walked next to him. He wasn't exactly sure what to say at first, but he was more than happy to finally spend some alone time with her. Over the past few weeks, he had really missed her.

 

After deciding the ramen house was a safe place for them to go, the two sat at a small table and ordered their usuals. “What made you decide to come out and do this tonight, Hoglet?” Hikari asked while stirring her straw in her drink. 

 

“You've seemed so on edge lately...” he responded with a sad tone to his voice. “I've missed that pretty smile of yours.”

 

Hikari’s face turned red as the exact smile he was referring to appeared on her face. He was too sweet to her, and she wasn't exactly sure what she did to deserve it. The leopard reached under the table to take his hand and held it tightly, missing the way it felt in her own. She only wished their night didn't have to end there...

 

As their food was brought to their table, they both added their favorite toppings and ate in silence. Nothing  _ had _ to be said. They both were more than happy to just be together. Once both of their bowls were empty, Crow got up from his seat to help Hikari up, then helped her put her jacket on. That was the right thing to do, wasn't it? He wasn't so sure he knew all the proper things to do on a date. Hikari smiled and thanked him before quickly sneaking a kiss on his cheek, when she felt like she was sure no one was watching. “So what did you want to do next?” Crow asked, loving the way his girlfriend beamed with happiness that night. There was no way he could let the night end there. Hikari stopped walking and blinked at him. They weren't going straight home? She smiled and tapped a finger to her chin. What did couples  _ usually _ do on first dates? Or even any date in general? As she was lost in thought, she gazed up at a billboard advertising a new movie titled “The Night of the Stone Stealers.” She remembered hearing about it from a few of her coworkers. It was supposed to be a horror film filled with crazy monsters.

 

Suddenly, it hit her. That was  _ perfect _ ! Not only would no one recognize them in a dark theater, but if they went to see this movie together, she could act like she was afraid and he’d have no choice but to comfort her. She chuckled to herself, deviously. “Well, Hoglet~” she started in a sweet tone. “I haven't gone to a movie in forever! And I've heard great things about that one there!” She pointed up at the billboard as she spoke. Crow looked up at the advertisement she was referring to and gulped. She wanted to see  _ that _ ? He then looked back to see a… very ironically sweet smile on her face. Why was she looking at him like that? It wasn't like he could tell her no… Besides, it was just a movie. He was tough. There was no way it could even be that scary… to him at least. He would have to be brave for her! How bad would it look if she got scared and he couldn't even hold himself together to make her feel better--

 

“Crow? Is that a yes or a no?”

 

“Hm?” The hedgehog shook his head, erasing those thoughts from his mind. “Hah! Of course, Angel! You're lucky you have me to go with you, or it might just be too much for you.” 

 

\---

 

The couple made it to the theater just in time for the movie to start. Since they had just eaten, neither of them needed any snacks, so after purchasing their tickets they made their way into the dark theater and took their seats in the very back row. On the outside, Hikari looked to be very excited to be seeing a movie with Crow, but on the inside she was absolutely nervous! She was seeing a movie with  _ Crow _ … Next to her, sat a brave looking hedgehog, though just like Hikari, what he showed on the outside was not how he felt on the inside. Of course, he was extremely happy to be seeing a movie with Hikari, but why did he have to pick such a terrifying movie!? 

  
  


As the movie started, Crow felt his heart beat faster out of anxiety, but in his mind he continued to tell himself that he could handle anything, even some silly movie. His eyes wandered away from the screen as the dark monster in the movie started attacking poor defenseless myumons, to see how Hikari was doing. The poor hedgehog was already trembling, so he couldn't imagine how she would be feeling. Judging by the expression on her face, the scene must have scared her, too. He reached over and took her hand, hoping it was enough to comfort her, and sunk down in his seat. It was going to be a long movie…

 

On the inside, Hikari couldn't help but laugh at how stupid the movie was. It was all so obvious it was fake. She had to make it look like it scared her, though, if her plan was going to work. 

 

By the middle of the movie, Crow had been sitting with his feet up on the seat. This didn't seem unusual to Hikari, since this was how he always sat while in Angelica’s, but the vocalist had done this out of fear. He couldn't let some monster come out from under his chair and grab his feet!

 

The movie was just starting to get good. One of the smaller monsters had just broken into the main character’s home to steal her Melodesian Stone, and Hikari knew that when that moment came, she'd have the perfect opportunity to practically throw herself at her boyfriend out of mock fear! Slowly, she inched herself closer to him as the movie grew quiet. It was so predictable that the monster was about to jump out.

 

Crow sat, legs crossed in the seat, as he clenched his tail in his hand. Where did the monster go? Why did everything seem so calm and quiet? He didn't like this… He didn't like this at all…

 

The moment the monster finally jumped out, Hikari grabbed Crow by the arm, planning to pull him closer to her, but things didn't exactly go the way she had planned. The moment she grabbed him, her… “tough,” “brave” boyfriend let out a scream, just before falling out of his seat. Hikari’s eyes went wide as she stared down at him, biting her lip to hold in her laughter. After being shushed by some of the other movie goers, because of Crow’s scream, Hikari knew she needed to keep quiet, and instead reached out a hand to help him up. Sensing that she was judging him, Crow gave Hikari a glare, mumbling under his breath that it wasn't that funny. 

 

After feeling just a little guilty for what she seemed to have put him through, Hikari leaned closer to him, and hugged his arm for the remainder of the movie. She couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed that things didn't go her way and that  _ he _ wasn't the one holding  _ her _ , but this was nice, too. She didn't mind protecting the scared little hedgie from the big bad monsters!

 

\---

 

The entire walk home after the movie, Hikari could no longer contain her laughter. She had no idea  _ Crow _ could be so scared of some stupid movie!

 

“You should have seen yourself in there!! I didn't think you were going to make it!” she hugged her arms around her stomach as she laughed out loud. 

 

“Can we just stop talking about it… please? It's really not that funny,” the grouchy hedgehog mumbled as his tail dragged behind him. She hadn't stopped making fun of him since they left the theater!

 

“Not that funny?  _ Crow _ , you walked into that theater acting so brave and confident, then ended up screaming like a little child halfway through it!” Hikari said while playing with his tail. 

 

The moment she touched it, he jolted out of fear, feeling like it could have been one of the monsters, and grabbed it before holding it to him. “I didn't scream like that… You're just exaggerating now. Besides, you were scared at the beginning anyway, and if I wasn't there to hold your hand when that happened…”

 

As the hedgehog continued to ramble on, Hikari was hit with an idea. She reverted back to her small myumon form and ducked down behind some trash cans in the alleyway.

 

“...then you--” As he turned to look at her, Crow realized that Hikari had completely disappeared. Where could she have gone? “H-Hikari? Ahah, very funny… You can come out now!” He looked left and right, hoping to spot her, but had no luck. “A-Angel...?”

 

Suddenly, little Myumon Hikari jumped out of nowhere and landed on his back with a playful growl. “EeeyaAAAH!!” Crow yelled, his tail standing straight out and his eyes wide. The moment he realized it was just her, he huffed a loud groan. “ _ Seriously _ , Hikari?? You almost gave me a heart attack!”

 

“What?” She asked in a sweet and innocent voice as she nuzzled her soft furry cheek against his. “Was poor widdle Crow scared that a scary widdle monster was going to get him?”

 

The flustered hedgehog’s face burned a bright crimson from her affection and turned his face away with a pout as she teased him, something the currently small leopard caught onto right away. As she held onto his shoulders, her tail dropped, and she realized her little game wasn't so fun anymore. She didn't want to  _ actually _ upset him…

 

Hikari wrapped her little arms around his neck and hugged him. “Aw, come on, Hoglet, you know I'm only teasing. Please don't be mad at me.” He sighed and put on hand on the side of her face as he pulled her close to his own face in an attempt to return her hug.

 

“I know,” he said. “It's just… embarrassing.  _ I'm  _ supposed to be the one protecting  _ you _ , not the other way around like it was back there…” 

 

Hikari stared at him with a concerned look on her face before letting go of him and changing back to her human form so she could walk next to him again. “It's okay, Hoglet, really! I don't think any less of you because of that, I promise. Don't worry!” She flashed him a smile and held her hands behind her back. Her sweet smile and kind words were enough to lift his spirits again and he gave her a warm smile in return. He should have known that she wouldn't actually judge him.

 

As they walked down the street and entered an empty alleyway, Crow reached to hold Hikari’s hand. She quickly pulled it away and stuffed it into the pocket of her jacket and looked away. “I-I’m sorry, Hoglet... We are just too close to home now...”

 

“Oh come on, Hikari! Everyone is busy right now... No one is going to see anything...” he said with a pout. The hedgehog really missed having any sort of physical contact with her, and after everything that happened, all he wanted was to be close to her.

 

She stopped walking and turned to look at him with a sad expression on her face. She felt her anxiety returning. She couldn't risk anyone ruining their relationship, even if that did mean hardly getting to see each other. “It’s too risky, Crow... I can't stand the thought of anyone trying to come between us...” She turned away, tears filling her eyes uncontrollably. Why did she get so emotional about these things? What was the worst that could happen? If he cared for her as much as she did for him, would anyone even actually come between them?

 

The look on her face just broke his little heart... He couldn't give up. He wanted her to be happy, not sad... Quickly, without thinking, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. She didn't even have the chance to say anything before he pressed his lips to hers, and kissed her. At first, she made a few noises as if she were telling him to stop, but gave in rather quickly. Damn, did she miss kissing him. He held her body close to his and made out with her right there in the alley with no shame at all. She had to know there was nothing to worry about.

 

When he finally pulled away from the breathless leopard, he spoke lowly. “No one could ever come between us. I'm not going to let that happen.” He gave her one more kiss on the lips before stepping back and holding his hand out to her, feeling so proud of himself. Who was brave, now?

 

Hikari bit her bottom lip, admittedly disappointed that the kiss only lasted as long as it had. She looked up to him with tears in her eyes. She had to trust him... They could do this. She took his hand and held it tightly as she walked very close to him. “I'm so sorry, Hoglet... I know I'm not exactly the best girlfriend in the world... I'm still getting used to all of this.”

 

Not the best girlfriend? He couldn't help but chuckle. “Hikari, don't think like that. I know you're just scared, but no matter what happens, you won't lose me.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and escorted her back to BRR, only releasing her hand once they stepped foot inside the building.

  
  
  



	16. Track 16

**Track 16**

 

It had been a month since everyone at BRR had returned from their week long vacation to visit their families, which also meant a month for Hikari and Crow’s secret relationship. Before Hikari and Crow had returned, Yaiba was sitting in Angelica’s with Aion and Kamiko and happened to overhear a conversation the two lions were having while they waited.

 

_ “Last I heard, she was on her way back... but that was hours ago! Where is she?”  _ Kamiko had said.

 

_ “You must learn some patience, my darkness. She will return shortly. Did she say where she would be coming from?” _ Aion asked her.

 

Kamiko began pouting, and answered,  _ “No... All she said was she was staying on a farm somewhere with some boy... Hiki actually ran off and got a boyfriend... can you believe that?” _ To this, Yaiba’s ears perked up. A farm? Didn’t Kamiko know someone in their band was raised on a farm? But before he could let her know, the door had opened and Hikari had returned.

 

Since then, he was one of the only ones to know of their relationship. Angelica was also quick to catch on, as the two spent most mornings in the cafe together for breakfast. Both Crow and Hikari trusted the two of them, so they were comfortable spending time together in the cafe with only them around. The two sat rather close in one of the booths, looking over the lyrics Crow had begun writing for a song she had composed, titled ‘ _ Red Addiction.’  _

 

“I think it’s coming out really well so far,” Hikari said to Crow, hugging his arm as she read over his lyrics. 

 

“Ha! Of course it is, my Angel. I’m a genius, you know!” he responded, looking to her with a confident smirk on his face.

 

To this, she let go of his arm and shoved him lightly. “Oh, give me a break! You’ve still got a long way to go before it’s finished. And besides…”

 

As much as Yaiba was curious as to how the new song for ShinganCrimsonZ that the two were working on, he had started growing accustomed to tuning the couple out. There were times that the two would get a little too affectionate while they were together. He understood why, however. It wasn’t like they got to spend much time together without revealing to anyone else that they were together, so it was like they were trying to get everything out of their system before having to separate themselves again.

 

As he looked down to his phone, he spotted a notification telling him of a new video from a musician he was fond of on RicoRico, a video streaming service. Listening to the video may help tune out Crow and Hikari’s endless flirting. He tapped the notification to bring up the new video and the sound of a bassist covering the latest Shinimonogurui song began playing from the device.

 

“Fine, Hoglet, fine! I guess… I have to admit… that you’re--” The bass music quickly caught Hikari’s attention and stopped her mid-sentence, just as Crow had convinced her to agree he was a genius. He visibly pouted as she stopped speaking then looked to her in confusion after noticing her reaction. “Hey! What are you watching over there? Who’s that?” Hikari called out from across the cafe.

 

The fox’s face grew bright red as he quickly closed out of the video and stuffed his phone into his pocket. Hikari got up from their booth and moved over to sit next to him at the bar, a sly smirk on her face upon seeing his reaction. “Someone’s embarrassed!” she commented while poking his arm. “Come on, I just want to see the video!!”

 

Yaiba pulled his phone out of his pocket again and allowed the video to resume, showing a myumon standing where her face wasn’t in frame. All that could be seen was her bass as she played the song. She was really talented! The video seemed to have a lot of views and comments, too… Was she pretty well known? 

 

Crow stood up and walked over to the two with his hands on his hips, a little curious himself. He stood on the opposite side of Yaiba from Hikari and watched the end of the song with them, before looking over to Hikari. Something told him he knew exactly why she was so interested. Her band didn’t have a bassist and over the last few days she had been talking to him about finding the perfect person to recruit. 

 

“That was amazing!” Hikari cheered. “How haven’t I heard of her before? You wouldn’t happen to know her personally do you?” Her tail swayed back and forth excitedly, hoping he did. It sure would make things a lot easier to get ahold of her if so!

 

The fox quickly pushed his glasses up with one finger as the redness in his face returned once again. “N-No, of course not. No one even knows what she looks like, hence I wouldn’t be able to recognize her if I saw her outside of these videos.”

 

“Dude, your face is so red… What the hell?” Crow couldn’t help but notice Yaiba’s reaction to Hikari asking about the other musician. He nudged him with his elbow. “You a big fan, or something?

 

“E-Eh… Hence, I--”

 

“Crooow, come on! Now’s not the time to tease him over his crush!” Hikari said with a bit of a giggle, noticing his reactions as well. As much as she wanted to pick on him after all the comments he made about her and Crow, the most important thing was finding out if they could recruit this bassist. It didn't mean she couldn't have a  _ little _ fun, however. “We need to find out how to contact her! I wonder if she's part of a band… Could you imagine if someone like her joined Monochrome? Then she would be here all the time~” she teased, while nudging him from the opposite side of Crow.

 

“A-Alright! I get it!” Yaiba shouted, earning amused chuckles from the couple. “RicoRico has a messaging system that allows viewers to contact channel owners, hence you could start with that. Though it's doubtful you will get a response. Judging by the fact that she won't even show her face in her videos, she's probably very shy. Hence, you shouldn't get your hopes too hi--"

 

“She responded immediately! I can't believe it!” Hikari cried out, interrupting Yaiba. He couldn't help but be shocked. Hikari had already messaged her?  _ And _ got a response that quickly?? 

 

Hikari held out her phone to show the boys her message, which read:

 

_ I’m not part of any band, but I’m interested in your offer!! Let's meet this weekend~ (≧∇≦)/ _

 

“She’s going to meet me at the cafe I work at this Friday to discuss things since it's just down the street from her apartment!” 

 

\---

 

Hikari made sure to get up early that Friday morning, wanting to be sure to dress somewhat professionally for this meeting. It was important! A bass player was exactly what they needed for her songs to feel complete. 

 

She had attempted to wake Kamiko and ask her to join her, but the lioness was out cold. ‘Oh, well,” she thought. ‘I’ll let her sleep… I’m sure I can handle this on my own.’ After grabbing her song notebook, she began her walk to the cafe. 

 

Just as she was about to enter the first crosswalk, a familiar voice called from behind her. “Heading to work later than usual today?”

 

Hikari turned to see Rom walking up to the same crosswalk, his briefcase in hand. And just when she thought it was going to be a good day, too… “Actually, I’m off today, but if you must know, I’m headed to the cafe to meet with a potential new bandmate.” She crossed her arms and turned away from him. “Not that it’s any of  _ your _ business.”

 

He chuckled softly and rolled his eyes. “Oh, of course it’s not. Bands signed to the same label aren’t supposed to show support for each other or anything,” he responded sarcastically. He then placed a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair, just to mess with her a little. “Little Hikari is getting herself a full band! Good for you!” Even if he was too busy teasing her to actually come out and say it, he really was proud. She and Kamiko had come a long way after getting signed to Banded Rocking Records. 

 

She growled and fixed her hair, her face a bright red. “Would you stop? You act like I’m some child… I’m not that much younger than you, you know!” She started walking again, hoping he would just leave her alone and go to his own job. Unfortunate for her, she forgot he took the same route to get to work that she always took, considering she always left for work much earlier than him.

 

“Whatever you say,” he said with a smirk as he continued to walk alongside her. Back when they first met, the two hardly got along, but over the last few weeks, Rom had really started warming up to Hikari. He found her reactions to him to be quite amusing, and even cute at times.

 

She let out an annoyed sigh and kept her eyes ahead of her the rest of the way to the cafe. Once they made it there, she was about to walk in without saying another word to him, when he placed his hand on her shoulder, his expression a little more serious than earlier. “Good luck in there, for real though. I look forward to seeing your band grow!” 

 

Hikari wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to such a genuine compliment coming from him after the conversation they had during their walk. A small smile formed on her face as she gave him a quick nod. He really wasn’t such a bad guy… just a little annoying sometimes. 

 

Once Rom left to get the rest of the way to his own job, Hikari opened the door to the cafe and stepped inside. Sitting at the table they had agreed to meet at was a female tanuki myumon who wore a black hoodie with the hood pulled up over her head. Could that be her?

 

“Uh,” she started as she approached the table. “Reika, right? I’m Hikari, the one who contacted you!”

 

The tanuki shifted her eyes to the side, and folded her hands on the table. “Ah, yeah that’s me. Nice to meet you.”

 

Hikari tilted her head slightly at how shy the girl seemed. Based on their text conversations, she had assumed the girl was a lot more peppy and cheerful. With a shrug, she sat down across from her. “It’s nice to meet you, too! I’ll be honest, but I was really glad you responded so fast! We’ve been looking for a bassist for a while now and my friends and I were really impressed with your work!”

 

Reika perked up a little, her cheeks a little red as she pushed her glasses up her nose. “All I play are covers of popular songs… It’s not anything special, really,” she muttered, not thinking it was something Hikari should find impressive.

 

What really surprised her, however, was the snow leopard giggling in response to what she had said. “Honestly, that was one of the things that drew me to you! My best friend and I started out as a cover band, but then we were scouted by the record company that signed the band who wrote the song that was the most popular cover we performed!” She also decided to leave out the part about her currently dating the lead of that band, but they could discuss those details later. Especially since another member of that band clearly had an adorable little crush on this mysterious girl. “Have you ever heard of Monochrome Blush?”

 

“Amazing…” she responded, genuinely impressed, even if her tone didn’t sound that way. She usually tended to cover songs of bands she was particularly fond of, such as Shinimonogurui. She couldn’t imagine getting signed to the same label as a band like that just by playing their songs. But here was someone who did just that… 

 

Her large poofy tail swayed slightly out of curiosity. Monochrome Blush? The name sounded awfully familiar. Maybe she had come across one of their performances on RicoRico one night while surfing the internet. “Ahh, it’s kind of ringing a bell.”

 

A smile creeped its way onto Hikari’s face. Even if Reika didn’t completely know of her band, it was still nice to know that the name was a little recognized. “That’s our band! And we would really love to have you be part of it! We aren’t a cover band any longer and I’ve been writing music for us to perform!” she said as she sat her music notebook on the table. It was pink with lighter pink leopard spots on the cover. It seemed very fitting for her.

 

Reika picked up the notebook from the table and flipped through the pages, looking over the melodies and lyrics she had written. They were really good! When she made it to the last one, she commented, “The first couple songs sounded a little sad and dramatic, but this one is all romantic and sweet. This for a boy or something?” The way she said it seemed so straightforward, yet amused at the same time.

 

Hikari quickly snatched the notebook back and gave an embarrassed laugh. “What?? N-Not at all! You must’ve read it wrong or… something,” she responded as she closed the book and threw it in her bag.

 

“It had hearts on it…”

 

Hikari cleared her throat and changed the subject. “Anyway, like I said, we would love to have you. So what do you say?” Her embarrassment from the moment before had faded quickly and she held out her hand for the bassist to shake.

 

Reika hesitated for a moment as she thought it over. It would be great to join another band, especially one that got their start doing something so similar to what she does. Slowly she gazed up to the leopard’s smiling face, appreciating her kindness. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, a tiny smile forming on her own face as she reached forward, her sleeve just a little too long, and shook Hikari’s hand. She was in!

 


	17. Track 17

**Track 17**

 

"Hikari! Hikaaaaaariiiiii~!" The voice of a certain lioness rung through the halls of BRR as she called out to her best friend. She hadn't seen her all morning... Where could she have been? Kamiko had spent the night with Aion the night before and when she returned to the room she shared with Hikari, the leopard was nowhere to be seen. She had important news to tell her! How dare she leave for work so early without saying goodbye! But it was Sunday... the cafe Hikari worked at was closed on Sundays. So she had to be in the building  _ somewhere _ , right?

 

Directly across the hall, a couple began to stir in their sleep. Hikari, who could hear her name being called, groaned and sat up with a sigh. "There she goes again... I was sleeping really good this time, too..."

 

Crow rolled over, still half asleep and reached his arms to where she had previously been sleeping, wanting to pull her closer to him, but came up empty handed. He opened his eyes to see her climbing out of his bed. He sat up and crossed his arms, pouting like a child. "You know... you're going to have to tell her at some point. We can't keep sneaking around like this... not that I don't enjoy it or anything. I'm just saying."

 

Hikari growled as she started getting herself dressed. "I know... but she just wouldn't understand." Kamiko had always expected Hikari to end up dating some sophisticated type. There were many times that she had tried setting her up on blind dates. Something her boyfriend at the time constantly bugged her about was that she needed to meet a close friend of his, but because of the fact that Hikari was against going on random dates with people she didn't know, the girls never had the chance to meet the guy. Kamiko, always listening to every word that boy told her, had it in her head that the guy just had to be perfect if  _ he _ picked him out. 

 

Crow, as perfect as he was to her, happened to be nothing at all like the guys Kamiko always wanted her to date. Because of this, Hikari wasn't sure how she would react. Not only that, but she happened to recall a certain moment between those two when they first moved to BRR that would just make things awkward.

 

"Hikariiiiiii!! I know you're here somewhere!" Kamiko called from the hallway.

 

Hikari sighed and held her head. She just wanted to go back to sleep. It was only a few short hours after her very... energetic boyfriend had finally let her sleep. Though, it wasn't like she had a problem staying up and doing the things they had. 

 

Crow stood and hugged her from behind. She closed her eyes and relaxed into him. She wasn't sure how he did it, but anytime there was something on her mind that bothered her, he was easily able to calm her. "She's going to find out eventually, Hikari."

 

Hikari whipped around and looked up at him. "What do you mean? I haven't said anything to her. And you promised you wouldn't say anything to her. Plus even if Yaiba  _ wanted _ to tell her, she doesn’t even think he’s real, so she would never listen to him."

 

"Ah... well it’s not you or me or even Yaiba that I'm worried about," he said, a bit of a guilty expression showing.

 

She crossed her arms and gave him a look. "If no one else knows, then who is going to tell her,  _ Hoglet _ ...?" She began tapping her foot as she waited for an answer.

 

Crow sighed and took her hands in his. "I kind of already told Aion..."

 

" _ Aion!? _ Seriously... of all people. I think you've forgotten that he and Kamiko are kind of together! Don't you think he's going to tell her?" She pulled her hands away and placed them on her hips. 

 

"No. He won't tell her. I trust him, Hikari. He's my best friend, you know. We talk about things like this," he told her, hinting at the fact that Hikari should trust Kamiko to know as well.

 

She sighed, hanging her head in defeat. "Yeah well... it's just not the same. She's going to freak out either way, whether it's positively or negatively."

 

He looked down at her with a sad smile on his face. He hated to see her stress. "Hey..." He lifted her chin so she would look at him. "What matters is you're happy. Don't worry about how others will react. Besides, you're prettier when you smile, so quit your pouting." He leaned in and kissed her softly, bringing butterflies to her stomach.

 

When he pulled away she blinked, staring at him. Suddenly she felt all her worries melt away. "How do you do that so easily...?"

 

"Do what?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

 

"Whatever it is you do to make me feel so... so peaceful all the time!" She waved her hands in the air as she spoke, trying not to be too loud since Kamiko was just in the hallway.

 

He shrugged, that same adorable cocky smirk on his face. "I guess I'm just that good~"

 

He leaned in to kiss her again, when Kamiko’s voice could be heard once more. "Hikari, come on! This isn't funny! I have to talk to you about something really important!!"

 

Hikari sighed, pulling away from him. "I guess you're right... I will tell her soon." She paused for a moment and looked up and down at him. "Just... not today! So get some clothes on!"

 

She started tossing his clothes to him as she moved closer to the door. "Kamiko! What's up? Why are you being so loud?"

 

The lioness' ears perked up at the sound of her best friend's voice... coming from Crow's room? "Uhh... Hikari? Where  _ are  _ you?"

 

"Oh, I ran into Crow at Angelica's this morning when I was grabbing breakfast, so we decided to hang out and work on some music until everyone got up." Once Crow was finally fully clothed, she opened the door. "Since you were over at Aion's, I figured it would be hours until I would see you, so I needed someone to talk to."

 

"Oh," the gullible Kamiko responded. "I guess that makes sense. Well come on! I need to talk to you!" She grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the hallway. "Sorry, Crow! She's mine now! We'll see you later!"

 

The two girls left to go to their room and sat on their own two beds. "So what's up? What's so important?"

 

"Well Mama called this morning! This weekend my family is organizing a big Halloween party at the estate! You just  _ have _ to go with me! We can wear super cute costumes! I kind of invited Aion, though..." She tapped her fingers together in front of her, reluctantly awaiting the lecture Hikari was bound to give her this time.

 

"Really? That sounds great, Kamiko! I'd love to go. And I'm sure Aion will have fun, too. Halloween seems like it would be his thing." Hikari flashed her friend a wink, catching her off guard. Why was Hikari being so... positive? She hardly ever acted this way about these types of things.

 

"Uhh... Yeah! It's going to be great!" She took a moment to debate with herself over whether or not it was a good idea to ask her next question... "But I was thinking... maybe you should invite that farm boy you seem to be so fond of~ I still need to meet him!"

 

Hikari's face went red and she rubbed the back of her neck, nervously. "Yeaaah... How about we not do that this time. You could always invite the boys. I could hang out with them while you have your time with Aion."

 

Kamiko crossed her arms and gave her a pout. "Aww, alright... but that doesn't mean you're off the hook! I still need to meet this guy that is good enough to finally get my Hiki-chan to open up!"

 

"Maybe someday soon, okay? But not right now. I don't want to jinx anything," Hikari responded. She could only imagine the things Kamiko would say when she found out who that boy really was...

 

\---

 

Later that evening, Hikari and Crow sat at the ramen house, waiting for the others to arrive. "Okay... So Kamiko is going to invite you to a party at her house this weekend for Halloween, so  _ please _ say yes. There's no way I could survive the weekend there if she has Aion with her. They'll most likely run off somewhere and I'll probably never see them!"

 

He chuckled as he flashed her a grin. "So what you're saying is you want someone there that  _ you _ can run off with, huh?"

 

She elbowed him playfully as she blushed, looking away from him and stared into her bowl of cheesy ramen. "I mean... I'm sure we could find the time. Plus, there are plenty of places to hide in that giant home," she teased. "But seriously, it would just be nice to have you there. You don't actually have to dress up or anything if you don't want to. I usually don't."

 

"What!? Hikari, you can't go to a Halloween party and not get all dressed up! I happen to have a costume that looks super amazing on me. I don't get very many opportunities to wear it, either." He turned to look at her with a bit of a judging look on his face. How could she not enjoy dressing up?

 

She scoffed and made a face back at him. "Well fine then! Kamiko wanted to get me to dress up this year anyway. I'm sure I could find something of hers to wear." Suddenly, she grew curious. "So what exactly is this costume you have?"

 

"That happens to be classified information. You'll just have to wait until the party to find out," he said with a smug look on his face. "But I  _ will _ tell you that Cattle can't get enough of me when I wear it. I doubt you'd be able to keep your hands off me~"

 

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "That's just not fair..." She couldn't help but smile at the last part. It was so cute how he always thought so highly of himself. "Oh give me a break, Hoglet. I can handle myself! I'm going to have to. We  _ will _ be with Kamiko after all."

 

He sighed and took her hand under the table. "That again? You need to stop worrying about her finding out."

 

She blushed at the contact and squeezed his hand. "I can't help it... I've never had to do something like this before. And I don't want anyone to come between us. These past few months have been perfect."

 

"But it's  _ Kamiko _ ... She's going to approve of anyone you want to be with. And how could she not approve of this guy?" He pointed to himself and put on a smile, bringing one to Hikari’s face.

 

The bell at the door rang as Kamiko and Aion entered the ramen house. Hikari quickly let go of Crow's hand and slid away from him. "Hope you weren't waiting long~" Kamiko chimed as she sat in her usual seat at the table. "The others will be here shortly. They were about to leave when we did."

 

Aion sat in his seat next to Kamiko, which happened to be across from Crow. He had seen how close the two were sitting when they came in as well as how quickly she pulled away when the two arrived. From beneath the hand on his face, he gave the hedgehog a questioning gaze, wondering if Hikari was still wanting to keep the two of them a secret from Kamiko.

 

The two lions ordered their ramen as the rest of the group came in. Rom took his seat at the end of the table next to Hikari.

 

Kamiko stood up and cleared her throat. "Okay, I wanted to get everyone together tonight because I have a big invitation for everyone! My family is throwing a big Halloween party this weekend! The party isn't until Saturday, but my parents have plenty of room for all of us to stay the entire weekend! We will be leaving Friday and come back Sunday! Aion and Hikari already said they would go! So what about everyone else?"

 

Crow pumped his fist into the air, actually pretty excited to get out for a while. "I'm there! Sounds like it could be fun!" He winked at Hikari as he said this, who instantly grew embarrassed. Could he be any more obvious...? He sure was a cutie, though....

 

Hikari looked to Rom, who seemed to be a little annoyed. "Well this just happens to be my weekend to work, so it looks like I'll be staying here once again." Poor guy... he never seemed to have time off when it was needed. Even when everyone was away on vacation, he stayed behind and worked. "Have fun without me. I don't need to go to some party, anyway."

 

Hikari flashed him a little smile, hoping it would help him cheer up. "Well maybe next time! It would be fun to have you there!" Even if the guy was a jerk to her sometimes, she had a bit of a soft spot for him. Before the girls had ever met the band, she looked up to him for his awesome drumming skills, and the fact that he was much like her.

 

He glanced over at her and saw her cheerful smile. A small grin creeped it's way onto his face. "Alright. Next time, then." It was nice to know someone would miss him if he weren't there and a part of him was glad it was her.

 

"Great! Knowing Kamiko’s family, there will be plenty more of these parties in the future." Hikari was glad to see him smile, too. The whole group was slowly starting to feel like family to her. She didn't like seeing any of them upset.

 

Kamiko sat on her side of the table, pouting to herself over the whole scene. First Hikari refused to invite farmer boy and now Rommie can't make it? A part of her felt a little guilty that she would be spending so much time with Aion over the weekend if Hikari couldn't have a boy to spend time with. At least Crow said he would go... The two of them had been hanging out a lot lately, so at least she will have another friend there to talk to.

 

\---

 

Later that same week, Hikari wandered up to the dorm floor of BRR directly after practice, hoping her Crow would be home. She tapped on the door to his room and waited for him to answer. "Can I come in?" she asked as he opened the door, but he simply smiled down at her.

 

"Sorry, Angel," he replied, using the nickname he had given her after finally coming to terms with her calling him Hoglet all the time. He agreed that it was a cute thought, considering it meant baby hedgehog. So it was almost like she was calling him baby all the time. "I can't let you in here right now."

 

She blushed as she heard the name. He didn't use it often, but when he did, it always got to her. "And why can't I? Aion met Kamiko in the studio, so it will be a while before she comes back up here..."

 

He gave her a teasing grin. "I'm busy getting ready for this weekend. You can't come in."

 

"What do you mean 'getting ready'?" she asked, tilting her head. He was acting a little strange.

 

"Well you see, I had to get my costume ready and make sure I had it all together. But until the party, you're not allowed to see, so you will have to come back later." He winked, about to shut the door when she put her foot in to stop it.

 

"But Kamiko will be back later!" For probably the first time ever, Crow heard Hikari whine, which only egged him on.

 

He shrugged, patting her on the head. "I told you that you need to just tell her. Then you can come over any time you want~" He kissed her forehead and turned her around to send her back to her room. "I will see you in the morning when our ride gets here. Try not to think about me too much, Angel."

 

When he shut his door, she flipped around when she heard it lock. He was serious about this, wasn't he? She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. If he was going to wear a costume that was going to be so good that she "wouldn't be able to keep her hands off him," then she needed one that was just as good.

 

Hikari walked across the hall to her room and opened her laptop, deciding to research stores that sell Halloween costumes in Midi City. She had one day until they left, so she would have to buy it immediately. 

 

She grabbed her things and rushed down the stairs. In her hurried rush, she turned a corner and slammed right into Kamiko. Both girls fell to the floor on their butts.

 

"Owwie..." Kamiko groaned as she stood up, rubbing her butt. She looked down to see Hikari on the floor in front of her and held out her hand to help her up. "You okay, Hiki? You seem to be in a big hurry. What's up?"

 

She took Kamiko’s hand and rose to her feet. "Uhh... Just wanted to get some last minute pieces for my Halloween costume."

 

"Last minute pieces? Like what?" The lioness tilted her head to the side. She didn't even know Hikari had anything planned for her costume yet, and assumed she would just borrow one of her old ones.

 

"Like... all of it... I decided I'm actually going to try this year," she said. She picked her bag up off the ground and dusted it off. "I have to get to the shop before it closes. Hopefully they still have something this last minute."

 

"Ooooh~!!" This was great! Finally she could get Hikari to dress up with her again. They used to all the time when they were kids, but eventually Hikari grew out of it and she started going to Halloween parties with Shu. "I'm going with you! I have to see what you pick out!"

 

"Don't you and Aion have plans tonight?" Hikari questioned, still a little disappointed that Crow shut her down for the night.

 

"It's okay! He'll understand~ This is important!" Kamiko clapped her hands in front of her and grabbed Hikari by the arm. "Come on!!"

 

\---

 

The costume shop was only a short walk away from BRR and the girls thankfully made it just in time. They searched the racks for something that would fit Hikari, but the leopard was being just a little picky. It had to be just right. If Crow thought he could wear something that would make her not want to keep her hands off him, then she needed something she could wear that would drive him crazy. Two could play at this game. She was strong enough to resist him while the others were around.

 

"Hikari... there aren't many outfits left. Didn't you like the mummy or the cute little ghostie one? They both fit you perfectly!" Kamiko rested her chin in her hands with her elbows propped up on her lap. Shopping was so boring when  _ she _ wasn't the one trying everything on.

 

"Eh... they were okay... They weren't right, though. This costume has to be perfect." She continued to flip through items on the rack.

 

"What made you want to do this so bad all of a sudden. You hate getting dressed up...." Kamiko was definitely happy that her friend was so excited to do this with her, but she couldn't help but be curious as to why...

 

"Uhh..." She felt her face grow red out of nerves. "Well... I just figured since everyone else is going to be dressed up, it wouldn't be fun to be the only one who wasn't." She pulled out a short little black dress with long sleeves. It might be something she could work with.

 

"I guess that makes sense..." She looked up to see the dress Hikari was holding. "What does that one go to?"

 

"I'm not sure... but I kind of like it," Hikari responded, looking the whole thing over. It looked like it would be cute for a vampire or something.

 

"Wait! I know what I  can use this with! Remember those black wings you got a couple years ago?" Kamiko happened to have accessories to just about any Halloween costume imaginable, so she was sure she could find something to make it work.

 

Kamiko nodded and Hikari continued. "When we get back to your home, I will see how they look with this. It could actually work out better than I planned..."

 


End file.
